
your ever welcom welcome
letter
has reached me all right and the bundle of paper you sent me
ihave I have
sent Bethuels
papers to him today there was three bundles to him Bethuel Smith lives
afew a few
miles South West of
us ihear I hear
from him often
he and his Wife and youngest little boy was at our hous house
the last of november ihave I have
not seen him since but expect him soon he was maried married
awhile after he came home and got well he has three little boys and one
girl the first boy is slender and sickly the rest are healthy two of his
boys looks very much like him they are good children and smart Bethuel
is well and healthy he has bought some land and is trying to pay for it
he is drawing pople poplar
wood
to the papermill to make paper with and someimes sometimes
works at other work it is rather hard times this winter money is
scarse and wages down not
much going on around here
idid I did
not
rite write
much in that letter
isent I sent
you
ifeared I feared
it never would
reach you but thank god it has reached you all right it has
allways always
seemed to me since
our Son came home that some of us should rite write
to you my husband Could not rite write
therefore it left me to do the riting writing
mostly Bethuel was sick when he came home he mearly merely
got home alive had ben been
wounded
and had the Chronic diare diarrhea
the war is ahard a hard
place
indeed you have seen some of the hardship of it perhaps all you wish to
see or even hear of my husband was afflicte afflicted
with acanser a cancer
it
Comenced Commenced
on his lip
it eat his jawboan jawbone
into
and then along the side of his neck untill
it Came to the arter artery
ioften I often
thought he would
bleed to death he told me not to try to stop the blood for he would
asoon as soon
bleed to death as
not or die another way it was the worst soar sore
iever I ever
seen he
sufered suffered
about 6 months
very much indeed the pain were mostly in his head he was very patient
allthrough all through
his sickness
he was ready to go when the lord should see fit to Call after him about
three years from the time it Comenced Commenced
it wore him out
Mrs. Smith Bethuel's mother Feb. 1. '75
sent postal card, April 21, '75
he died the 4 of april in the year 1871 iwill I will
rite write
the names of our Children
Comencing Commencing
at the first
ira Ira
Smith Halsa/ William J/ Calvin/
Bethuel Joseph D/ Slly Sally
M/ Mary
Mary was Maried married to David H Deen they are at our house now and will stay untill until the first of next month then they will return to new york to their boat he left it on the jersey shore near the Centeral Central pennsylvania railrode railroad Depo Depot Sally M maryed married Harvy Allen he is aboatman a boatman to too She goes with him is ent I sent for them to Come here and stay with me this winter they are with me this winter to too Joseph is in the lumberwoods this winter my health is very good iwas I was not well for about one year after my husbands husband's death iwas I was almost tierd tired and wornout worn out ishould I should like to see you very much Bethuel will rite write soon he has often told us of your kindness to him it awlways always seemed to me that god sent you to save the life of our son that he might Come home and see his parents once more even sick and wounded Bethuel has your picture

we always thout thought agreatdeal a great deal of that picture how iwould I would like to see you if your health should be good enoug enough to come here Come out and see us weall we all would be somuch so much pleased to see you wemay we may see eachother each other yet sometime if you Canot Cannot read this iwill I will send you my love Dear friend
from Maria Smith to Walt Witman Whitmanthey are wating waiting forthe for the letter to cary carry to the village