Silas Stepp to Eleanor Stepp
april 8 day .18.64
my dear wife and children i rite you aline
to let you now i am well only abad cole i
hope this will come safe and spedy to hand and find
you all well ihave nothing strange to rite you
times is quiet along our lines i receive your kind
letter last nite of the first of this inst i was truly [inst = the present month]
glad to here from you and here you was all alive
and well i am sorry to here bille has them spels yiet
ithink hee had better wash his head 2 or 3 times aday
in cold water you nead not bea uneasy about mee thinking
hard of you about your letters they was along time beginning
to come but they come in every week now it is agreat satis faction
to me to here from home i rote one to your father one to my
father one to mary and lydia one to wm Stepp i aint
got the Scratch of apen from them yiet ithink Some
of them mite of rote rite to mee how the baby is
if it can croul or Stand up or if it can Say papy yiet iaint
for got the little pet yeit if i was there i wood soon
have it to cry after [the rest of this line and the next four lines crossed out]
<it?> is my hand
[page 2]
houdy my dear wife [picture of a hand] when this you see
remember mee though many miles apart wee bea
you rote about the money i will tel you what i think
of it you now the confederacy was bound for it and
they have kild it they say the new money will bea good
if they can make laws to kil the money they can make
laws to kill the bonds they say new money will bea
founded on two weeds of the confederacy that is tobacco
and cotten now if the confederacy cant make it good
how will them 2 weeds <if?> it make it good you
nead not bea oneasy about mee going to richmond i dont
expect to go there there is aheap of this ridgement never will
go there the report is wee will attact newbe[r]n in
afiew days i dont think Sow my reason for it is wee
aint got troops nor arms enough down here when
the thing <??> all gets rite i expect to come to the blue
ridge there is now [= no] induce ment to mee to stay
here i aint satisfide here nelly i tel you there is now
where with mee like home i hope to here from yow
Soon give mee all the news give my respects to all
of my friends receive aful portion to your Sef
kins[ton] NC S. H. Stepp to Eleanor Stepp