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	Stevenson Ala July 14th 1864
Dear wife I am as well as ever and hope you
are the same received your letter of July 5th the 11th
but have not had time to answer it sooner there
is not much news to write. you ask me how
I am in body and mind you want to know more
about my spiritual welfare & what are my hopes
of Eternity.  Well as to body I am well as to mind
it is perfectly easy concerning my futurity I
cannot go on and write an eloquent epistle like
yourself but I think I shall meet you yet face to
face in this world but if the lord wills it
otherwise I think I shall meet you on the other
side the grave.  as to these being perilous times
there has never been a time but there was war
in some part of the world times that tried the
souls of men that was in the place where war
existed.  Sin and wickedness was alway abroad in
the land I think according to History full as much
as now the revolutionary times were perilous and
were times that tried mens souls, you say that you
had company the fourth well such days were always
tedious days to you but I think society demands
that people should visit each other and if such
times are not spent in talking scandel about
their neighbors the time can be spent profitably

by strengthening the ties of friendship for each
other I should like it very much to have the
weekly paper renewed am very sorry that you
have forgotten what you wanted to write I
sometimes labor under the same difficulty
myself  we have not left Stevenson yet, I think
moveing is very essential to health in the army
it is not healthy to stay all the time in one
camp for it soon becomes to filthy. I think
the war will be ended this fall the reg-
iments time is not out untill the 29th day of
Oct I am well aware that if I am not
discharged with the old regiment I shall
have to stay three years or during the war.
I dont know any more when I shall come
home now than I did the day I started
from home. I believe I have not been in
the habit of keeping a list of your defects
nor do I think it would be profitable
for man and wife to keep such a list
even if they could get their paper for
nothing I have sold my watch again Did
				   I
think I would send it to you but ^ had a 
chance to make 14 dollars clear proffit
on it so I thought I had better take it
I have now got over 30 dollars coming to


		July 14th 1864.



me on next payday from the boys besides what
is coming from goverment.  Well I must stop
writing for I have got to go and get some fresh
beef for dinner  kiss the children for me and
tell them pa is way down in dixey. pray for
me good bye from your husband
			    S A Howe