Submitters: Sid Stroupe and Mike Stroupe; Modern transcription written by Cheri Todd Molter
Transcription of the original (provided by the submitters):
October 20 [no year]
State of North Caroliner
Dear husbe,
I take my pen in hand to drope you a few lines to let you no that we are all well at this time. I pray to God these few lines may find you well and doing well. I can tell you that I received to letters today. Won was rote laste Sonday. I can say to you that Mos Shull is gone to the war. I can say to that I will have some corn gathered and hauled. Then to { } gathered and that pease for the { } and will have little { } an in the Cribe them there pease made five loads of { }. Will sorte corn we had or potato dug that was better than I expect. I have the old ground soad all but a litel peas. I have the nue ground feeld soddage in case he was hear. Mose Shull road about a bushel last weake. I thinke that if we keep well manage to git thro with the work. We have gathered a good many peas. We have maide to barrels of molasses. I think there is to more to make { }. An Jacke he has to go this day weeke to the arme. I don’t know how we will do to get along { } for hit took like all the men has to go a Monday { } has a grate many to go and now granny seand her best respect to you and a nice person. She is well and Ant harrett has moved heare to her old home. You can tell { } that { } was all well. The other day davy got a letter from George { } and he was all well. The children has done tolerable good yet I wishe the people all cood gite home to tend to the ones { } fore the people sees no satisfaction.
If you wont mee to send you any thing you can rite. I mus close by askin you to rit to me more. Only I re main your wife til deathe.
Transcription with modern spellings:
October 20 [no year]
State of North Carolina
Dear husband,
I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines to let you know that we are all well at this time. I pray to God these few lines may find you well and doing well. I can tell you that I received two letters today. One was wrote last Sunday. I can say to you that Mose Shull is gone to the war. I can say to that I will have some corn gathered and hauled. Then to […] gathered and that piece for the […] and will have little […] and in the Crib. Them there piece made five loads of […]. Will sort corn. We had our potatoes dug. That was better than I expected. I have the old ground sowed all but a little piece. I have the new ground filled soddage in case he was here. Mose Shull wrote about a bushel last week. I think that if we keep, we’ll manage to get through with the work. We have gathered a good many peas. We have made two barrels of molasses. I think there is to more to make […]. And Jacke he has to go this day week [a week from today] to the army. I don’t know how we will do to get along…for it took like all the men has to go a Monday […] has a great many to go and now granny send her best respect to you and […]. She is well and Aunt Harriett has moved here to her old home. You can tell […] that […] was all well. The other day Davey got a letter from George, and he was all well. The children has done tolerable good yet I wish the people all could get home to tend to the ones, fore the people sees no satisfaction.
If you want me to send you anything you can write. I must close by asking you to write to me more. Only I remain your wife ‘til death.
Editor’s note: This letter was most likely written by Frances Dellinger to her husband, Daniel H. Dellinger, who served in the Confederate Army during the war.