Near Liberty Mills March 13th 1864

Dear Wife and Children

I will write to you this Sabeth Morning to Let you no I am well and hope this will find you all well and geting along as well as the times will admit of I wrote a Long Letter allowing to send it with James Groves and his Furlow has not come I under-Stand the Furlow is aped a few days for some reson I also got a ring to send to Lorenah and will send it the first chance Dear family it is five Months yesterday Since I parted with you all and it may be as many more before I will have the pleasure of meeting you again and it is uncertain wether I am Spared to meet you again or not but I do hope with the providence of God to be Spared to meet you all again in this world I am glad to hear that you have some Frinds yet that will do something for you I am glad to hear you y are geting your Plowing done and if you can get your Little bit of ground well worked it will make a little corn to help you along through these hard times I received a letter from Robison stating he had made you a plow you can get Spencer to Stock it for you you say times is geting harder they are geting worse hear two we cant get any thing for the money and Especialy the Large Bills what money I have is in five dollar bills you had better hold on to all the Small bills you get for they are a little more current than the large ones I think you had better by that cow from Faris if he will take the Money for it the Soldiers is geting verry tired of this war and seem wiling to except of peace on any terms allmost they men is runing away in Spite of what they shoot I will late to you that Thomas Fergison is in the Gard House he was Garding Prisoners at the Gard house and one dark nite about Midnite one of them run and he shot at him and mised him and he was sent to Orange and court martialed and Sentenced to the Gard house for thirty days the company regret it verry much I have lent Lieut More forty dollars of what Money I had and he promised to pay me in the new issue and I have about thirty dollars yet I will Stop for this time hoping to hear from you Soon again I want you to write what Post ofice is the handiess for you and I will send my letters to it I intend to take things as easy as posible and I want you to do so two and put of our trust in one that is and wiling to save too the last extremity give my respects to all my good Neighbors Children I want you to be good to your Mother and mind what she tells you and remember that your Father is a long distance from you Farewell for this time make forever M.L. Holland to M. A H and children tell Sample I am glad he is going to school and is a good boy tell Lorenah to take good care of him at School tell Rockwell to mind Lex good while the rest is gone to school and tell Lex She is my pet

M.L.H.

Front page - click for larger image

Second page - click for larger image