Park Barracks Louisville, Ky 
			  August the 8th 1863
	My dear loving wife it is my gratest 
	plesher that I am permited to drop you
 a few lines to let you kno that I am injoying
 good health at present hoping when
 those lines come to hand they may find
 you well and doing well I received 
your letter yesterday dated August the 2nd
  which afforded me much joy to hear from
you and hear that you was  in very good health
or as well as usual I am happy to hear that
you Can go to Church and still injoy the
Blessing of religion it is one of the gratest
blessings that Man or Woman can injoy
oh dearest Martha if the war was over
and all [illegible in original] and I could go get home
to go to meting with you I would shorly
bee the happyest mortel ever lived
I would take a grater delight in going to
Church now than I ever Could or ever did
at Church before dearist Martha dont think
the time long of my Coming for I still trust
in the allmighty power that I may get home
to injoy the union and the love of my 
dearist wife with all that religious feelings, turnover

I will asure you My dear loving wife that
I would love to bee back to old, Mich
to go to Church with you I have ondley
bin to Church once I think Since I left
michigan and I tell you it seems like
a long time betwine times of going to
meating I think I will go to meating tomaro
at Louisville I supose tha have some 
good meatings thare tha have some
new Churchses thare of all denoninations
I have nothing now to write So I must close
May the lord bee with you and gave you
a hart to rejoice in his goodness and
may he gave you patiants to wate and
not think the time long tell we meat
agane and if we should never meat
agane on earth May we meat in heaven
Where parting is no more this is my
humble and Sincear Prayer

	        So no more at present 
	ondley remaining your
	afectinate husband tell death

	R.B. Cole to Martha Cole
	    farewell for a while