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        2.7
X

4-8-63   [3?]

[End]

H.A. Atkins
Loeke
Ingham Co
Mich

[Penciled on top of Scan 2] 

Pratt

[End]

April 8th 1863 Bowling Green Ky
		My Dear Ma and Pa
I am now on the gain and I hope
these few lines will find you
Both well. we have had rather
Bad luck since I wrote you my
last letter. we have lost our
Lieutenant Colonel he was killed
by a horse and we all feel the
loss deeply too he was a fine man
and was respected highly in the
Regiment as an officer. now for a
little talk with Pa. I can [crossed out] [verry]
but poorly express my thanks to
you for the lot in Owosso
but you have my Sincerest
thanks for it you wanted
me to talk freely of the
Future to you and I shall 
do so. If I live to get home

as I pray I may I would 
like to take the Farm verry
much and live to home a while
to make up lost time which
I have Spent in the army
and another thing it is never
agoing to agree with me to
be shut up in a Shop I dont 
think good fresh air is what
I need most of any thing. It
is verry pleasant here now and
the peach trees are in full Bloom
and the folks are making garden
and planting their potatoes. and
corn and they say it is a verry
late and backward Spring the
latest they have known of
in 10 years. now I will tell
you some good news and that is
this we are a going to be paid
off this week or next and we
Shall draw two months pay

and then I can send you
    some more money I owe
    thre dollars for a new pair
  of Boots which I wrote to you
about four or five weeks ago and
I shall be able to send you
about ten Dollars and may
be more but I will send you
that much at least. now
there has an idea come in to my
head which I had never thought
of before and it is this. you
use my what money I send
home and keep the Pony and
Pete and I should like one of
them for pay when I come
home and then you will not
feel it so much as to pay me
the money perhaps but do as
you think best for you [head?]
is longer than mine by a
considerable and your judgement

a good deal better. when
sheep are sheared I want you
to get me to or three ewes on
some of your debts and I can
in that way get a flock
after a while at any rate. if
you get them get young ones
and I will allow you what
they cost you and pay you
the money down. have you seen
the governer yet if you have tell
me what luck you had. now
for a word with Ma. I want you to see
that Pa gets me the sheep because wool will
always be up you must write as often as you
can how many rats has pa killed in all I forgot
to ask him. Kiss will and Fan for me
and tell them that Ill loves them dearly and
wants to see them very much tell them to
be good children and mind ma and Pa.
as I have told all the news and asked al the
questions I want to I will Stop. from your ever
true and loving son I G Atkins  Ma your likeness gives
				   me a great deal of
       Good Bie for the present	   pleasure to look at.