Enclosure:
   Bell Merwin to Mary Wilcox
       dated Aug. 7, 1864
		  Palmyra July 19th 1863

Dear friend Earl
		    It has been
Some time Since I Received your
letter you must excuse me for not
writing sooner for I have been very
busy for the last three months and
I expect to be for three to come
I Suppose that you have Some exciting
times there now as the draft iS about
to take place I expect every day
to hear that I am drafted but
I have not lost any sleep yet
If I am drafted I Shall hire a
Substitute or pay the government
500 hundred dollars have you
any copperheads out your way
there are plenty of them here I
do not know but we will have
to have war to home yet there
are Some that Say that they will

[Written upside down on top of Scan 2]

you get this do not wait as long as I did

go if drafted nor pay the 500 but
I think that all will come out
right yet but it may take a great
while and a great deal of blood Shed
and Suffering but I hope it may Soon
end you wanted to know how
James Stewart was he has got
most well he is not able to
work much yet we have got
through wheat harvest and I
have begun haying wheat is good
here this year but grass is very
light I have about 80 acres to mow
now this year I have mowed [15? 19?]
I have Sold my wool at the low
price of 75 cents per pound My Share
   wool
of ^ money was alittle over 6 hundred
dollars I think that it pays pretty
well to raise wool at 6 Shillings
per pound but Some are holding
on their wool for hihher prices
but wool has fallen to 60 cents

[Written upside down on top of Scan 3]

Now be Sure and write as soon as 

There has been a good deal of Sick
ness here this Sumer and a great
many deaths  Aunt Phebe Merwin
is dead I suppose that you have
heard of it  Mr Mac Brights was
here at her funeral She Suffered
a great deal She had her leg
taken off above her knee a few
days before She died. I was there
and Saw the operation I tell
you it looked like savage work
I do not want to See another operation
like that Soloman Martin
died about two weeks ago
from vaccination he was not
Sick only two days and a man
         name
by the ^ of Henry Hall died the
Same time and Same disease
they were both vaccinated the
Same time and there was only 
about 5 hours difference in their
death John Davison iS dead

[Written upside down on top of Scan 4]

Earl write Soon and let me know if you
are drafted do not wait as long as I have
give my respects to your wife and parents and Hannah

he died in may last of Eresselus
he was Sick about 10 days and Suffered
a great deal was crazy most of
the time It has been very dry here
this summer oats are very Short
hardly long enough to bind I Saw
John Wilcox the other day he and
his family are well I did not know
but from the way that you wrote that
you were turning your coat of [illegible in original]
do not faint by the way the glorious
old Union Shall be preserved
in Spite of traitors of the North and
rebels of the South I hope that it
will be your good luck aS well as mine
to escape the draft but I Suppose that
Some body has got to go although it is
human nature for us all to be Selfish
we are well as usual and hopeing that
these lines may find you and yours
enjoying health and prosperity iS the best
wishes of your old friend David Merwin