#68


			About Jan. 10th
		Elk River Bridge Tennessee
Dear wife one week to morrow I had just
received a letter from you and got my paper to
write an answer in return when the order came
for me to pick up my papers and go to
Murfreesboro and make my monthly returns
and I have not had a minute to call my own
untill now I have your letter before me I am
very Sorry you have been sick I hope you will
be very careful of yourself during this long cold
winter I know you must have missed kind
friends in your illness but when I come home
I am going to make up for loss time this
letter I have says you have not heard from
me since the 28th of November that is the day
we moved from Stevenson and the communication
was cut on the 30th of the same month but
letters go and come quite regular now but a
great deal of our mail goes to Savannah
where the Head Quarters of the Regiment is
I dont know but we will have to go there
in the spring well I am ready to go at any
time John has gone to the hospital at
Nashville and I think he will get a chance
to go home in about a month. there is
not much chance to get a furlough

unless it is a sick furlough. my
health never was better in the world.
God has given me the Blessings of good
health and that is everything here.
Company "m" is Not gobbled yet and I
dont think it will be but if it is
my fortune to be a prisoner in the
hands of the Rebs I shall try and
bear it with Christian fortitude there
is no Rebs in this vicinity now the
cars go from Nashville to Chattanooga
without scarcely any guards and are
not molested by the Rebs. I want to
keep an account of everything you let
Lyman have for William and the
time you let him have it I have let
William have ($2.25) two dollars and
twenty five cents to apply on that Note.
I thought you had hired 50 cords of
Wood chopped. If you have you ought
not to suffer with the cold and I
suppose you have got wheat enough
for your bread So the world is not
So bad after all how many of Gods
children do not have half enought to
eat, and yet thank God for what they have.


		Jan. 1865


I should be very glad of that silk handkerchief
but I think you had not better send it untill the
mail gets to going a little more regular. Dont
run yourself short of money to pay any debts
Lyman is not so disinterested in the other
folkses [illegible in original] (?) as you always thought him
to be he is just as selfish as any one I want
you to use what money you want for your
own use and let the debts go till I come home
Lyman can take care of himself better than
you can take care of yourself. Is the mares
both with fold this year? and how do you
think the fodder will hold out. the interest
on that note of Wills does not come to as
much as the interest from the united States
on the money it will take to pay the Note
it is not selfish to provide for ones Self in
prefference to others it is only a duty that
every one owes to himself and to his or her
family St Paul says he that will not provide
for his own family is worse than the
heathen I dont think the world is any worse
according to the number of inhabitants
than it was 1800 years ago I thank
you for your good wish and I believe 
it will be granted in part anyway

I feel that the prayers offered up in my
behalf will be answered that I shall be
permitted to See my family again and
that this war will cease and I permitted
to stay at home in peace. If there is
any chance to get a furlough in the
spring I am going to put in for one
but dont Expect me untill I come and 
then you will not be disappointed.
Well good Bye for the present from
your Every loving husband, kiss the
children and tell them to pray for pa.

		Simeon A. Howe