June 1st /63 

well Lucinda I will write a few 

lines more as the other paper would 

not hold it all  .I Expect we Shall 

get another mail in a day or two 

then I Shall look for another letter 

from you  I rec,d a letter from Belle 

and Ida David Ingersolls Sisters 

the same time I got yours they report [?] 

that little Charlie and the rest of 

of the folks were well  .Ida said she 

had written a letter to you; That 

candy heart you Sent me come through 

without being broken; but the 

cookey you Sent was all ground into 

powder; in Return [illegible] I will[?] send[?] 

you a paper of pins and some steel 

pens that I captured at Jackson 

; you Say that you Supose that I think 

you are the poorest writer that I 

[crossed out] [Ree] Receive letters from; you are 

altogether Mistaken if you think So 

But I would be glad to have you  

   a better writer than any I get letters from 
I only thought you did not take 

Interest enough in trying to Develop 

your natural abilities I know 

that you have a good Intellect much 

above ordinary women; if you would 

put confidence in yourself to Bring 

it out; and you are of the age now 

that the General run of mind and 

character is forming which will 

follow you through after life; you 

can now write a better letter both in  

composition and penmanship 

than any of my Sisters ; you write a better 

letter than Jabe and as good as any of 

your Sisters that I have Rec,d letters 

from; [crossed out] [but] you say when I come home 

that I must do all the writing for you 

do not like to write perhaps that 

accounts for your not trying more to improve 

I wish you to learn to like to write 

and compose So that you would not 

be ashamed to write to any body 
if necessary on any kind of business 

It is not that I wish you to write 

a correct and propper letter to me in 

peticular; but more to Show your 

abilities when you have occasion 

to write to others; and a love for study 

and learning generally Refines a  

persons General run of mind and 

Character; if I was at home I should 

be Just as Anxious for you to improve 

as I am now; I Should been glad 

If it were so that you could attended 

School all the time I was gone 

I do not wish you to think me 

too hard and Exacting; I think 

in a few years you will agree 

with me; We passed Fosters Battery 

about 9,o,clock in the evening after 

the Battle at Bakers Creek  I poke 

to levi Noble but Jabe was at one 

side and we was in a hurry so [illegible] 

I did not See him levi said he 

                                         was well 
[Written upside down on top of Scan 4]  

Tell Silvie to be a good Girl 

until I come home 

 [End]  

This is Sesesh paper I am 

writing on and I will send it 

in a Sesesh Envelope; Black 

Berries and plums are getting ripe 

and I have had Two or Three 

mesles of new Irish potatoes 

green Apples are getting[?] large 

enough to Stew; on this last march 

I Saw Several fields of new wheat 

out and in the Shack and fields 

of corn as high as my head 

as my paper is growing short 

I must close write as as often 

as you can and give me the 

news generally I have [illegible] 

this [illegible] is Such a rough way I 

dont know as you can read it 

[illegible] You must not be uneasy if 

you do not get mail Regular but 

I think it will be more Regular 

than it has the last month; I Remain 

yours as Ever    T Jefferson. Davis 

              To L. May Davis