St John    July 29th 1865
	          
	        My much loved Brother
                                    I have taken
my pen this pleasant morning to
answer your kind and welcome
letters which I received day before
yesterday and to let you know that
although you are absent you are not
forgaton by those at home no
Brother dear you are not forgaton
and we are looking forward to the
time that Shall See you once more
a Sitizin and not aSoldier when
you will once more be free to go and
come at your pleasure when no
man will have the power to take
you to the other end of creation
with out any particular object
unless to Show their power as to [Show?]
you the country and if that is
their object I think they might

have been spared that trouble
for I think you could have got
			         out
along very comfortable with ^ seeing
any more of it I do not know
but what I feel wrong about it
but I do think that it is a
mean arrangement taking you
farther and farther from home
as your time of inlistment has
So nearly expired I do not See
what they have got for you to do 
away off there you Speak of Staying
and digging for gold   dont think
of it you would loose more than
you would gain by Staying I do
not think that there is much danger
of it but I did not know but what
you might do So your letter
found us all as well as usual
and I hope this may find you
alive and well if it ever finds
you I do not know as it will for
it seemes along way to Send a let

ter but your [comeshere?] Safe and
I hope you will get this we
Sent one to you last week but do
not know as you will get it
we have got our wheat up in good
condition we had a good deal of
rain and our folks had to unbind
the most of it two or three times
before they got it Stacked but fin
aly got it up dry there will be
a good deal of musty and grown
wheat this fall there has been So
much wet weather our Summer
crops look fine our folks havenot
got the potatoes all hoed out yet
but they look well and we hope
to have a good crop our corn is
nice most evry one else had their
corn planted long before ours was
but now ours is equal and ahead
of a good many Pas health
is very poor the boys have to work
pretty hard this Summer Mr Rolfe

has bough his place back again
George and the old man went
all over Wisconsin and Iowa
and could not find any farm
that Suited him and came
back here and gave the man
fifteen hundred dollars
to get it back dont you think
he made money. fast but the
meanest of it is he promised
George that if he would go with
him he would give him a
farm    George Sold of his thing
at a Great Sacrifice and Spent
money to go with his father
and now the old man has
bought back his old place and George
is without afarm yet and the
prospect is that he will go with
out till he can buy one for him
Self the old man has used
him real mean I think and
I hope he will get his pay for it

[Penciled in on top of Scan 5] [1865. July 25] 

we had a letter from Sarah this week
they were well Ed let his farm
this summer his Uncle [illegible]
is boarding with them this Summer
he is at work at his trade in Eds
Shop     George Reynolds has alittle
boy    I expect Pa and Ma will
go out there next weak they are
going to corrunna to get our wool
carded if George does not get home
the boys and I will have to stay
at home alone unless we can
prevail upon Some kind hearted
person to come and Stay with us
now couldnt we persuade you to
come you would confer a great
favor upon us if you would
you know it would not be much
trouble just to Stay with us nights
I thank you very much for that
money you Sent me our folks

are going to have part of it to
pay for getting the wool carded
I am going to have a new
calico dress which I need very
much and the rest will be
used for 
something useful
So I hope you will not think 
any of it will be wasted or trifled
away now about the condition
on which I had the money
I have not been away from home
to Stay any except what I have
been at Minervas this summer
I have done the best I could to
help Ma about the work. and
done the largest Share of the work.
I have kept out of Company that I
thought would in any way corrupt
what little good Sense I have I
have tried my best to get along with
out asking for any thing new and
it has been my aim to help
in any and evry way that I

could I do not want you to Suppose
that I am lieing at home and
being fed and cothed from
the hard earnings of My kind
hearted Soldier brother with out
ever thinking of it no My dear
brother I hope the time will
come Sometime when I can pay
a part of my debts to you I do
not ever expect to pay all I never
can pay the for all the trouble and
expense that I have been to you but
My Brother dear if and boys were
ever blessed for being kind to their
aged Parents and brothers and
Sister I think My Brothers will
merit a blessing and you know
Such are promised a blessing
it is getting most noon and
I must draw my letter to aclose
I could write another sheet just
as well or not if I had time but
we are going to town this afternoon

[Written in red ink on top of Scan 8] [July 25, 1865]

and want to mail this   Ma
Send s you So much love that
I do not know as there is any
room for mine but I am not
going to get jealous about it
for who can blame a Mother 
for being Such Noble Soldiers
and Such Good an [illegible]
oh my dear brother  will the
time ever come when we can
enjoy each others Society I hope
it will write Soon and
remember me as your ever loving and
affectionate        Sister
		     Mary A Mattoon