Transcription:
Fall, 1861? Dear Mrs. Pelton I was real glad to hear from you I had been thinking it was so long a time since I had heard
how you all were You speak of my tiring of the world and seeking the woods again this Mrs Pelton will not be while I have
strength to study by, or so long as I can be now useful where I am. I am alone again, my brother never was accustomed to study
and confinement so that though he promised himself much useful happy case when he for the time being bade farm blessings goodbye
he found university toils far more severe than farm ones, his health suffered a little, so after a few com- plaints he suddenly
threw his books aside and set out the other morning for the healing pill of a weeks ploughing on the prairie. He is going
to teach a district school this winter and as am I my schoolhouse is one of those yankee log edifices which often give mournful
signs of having been hardly dealt with by the weather I was a little surprised on finding Byron, and Mr. Dwight one day in
the camp. they appeared healthy and pleased with their exercises Edward Dwight seemed to blow his fife with great glee in
the midst of the tireless army of chattering drums. Byron visited us in our room and went up town to church with us one Sunday.
You would hardlyknow him in his great blue coat I went down to the camp and spent an hour or two in their tent the night before
they left for Missouri and Oh dear