February 29, 1864
My dear husband,
I seat myself tonight to write to you now and tell you that I am well and enjoying good health still and hope that this finds you the same. It is so long since I last heard from you and I do not know where this may find you but I know that whereever that is our Lord and Savior is with you and watches over you and that in our Heavenly Father's hands the outcome of these troubled times and our fates rests and His will is done.
William Emorys wife had a letter from him on the 2nd inst. and he said in it that your company was on the move and he did not know when he would be able to write again or where her letters might find him but to continue at the last address he had and
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hope that all things would be sent on after you and so I have.
Well my husband I know that if you was here and we could speak you would ask me how things on the place have been and whether I have been a good steward of your affairs while you was away as I said I would try to be And I have tryed.
Our children is all well. Mary is ten now since her birthday last week as you know and is quite the little helper and honestly I do not know what I would do without her she is such a strength and a comfort to her mother.
Willie is so big and strong for a boy of six and he says since he is the man of the house now that his pa is gone he must do a man's day's work and you should see the little fellow when he carries a bucket of water
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or a load of wood in his arms He struggles so and I must not let him see me smile when he tries so hard to be "like papa" for his is such a serious fellow. It would break my heart if he thought his mamma was mocking him
Your stock is well Your brown cow threw a calf on January 30 and he is a fine fellow, big and spotted and as strong as a bull already I have a mind not to cut him as we thought but to let him grow and use him to breed our own stock. The fee that Jenkins wanted for his bull was so dear and I cannot see paying to someone else for what we can do ourselves But this was not what you was thinking of when you last wrote to me before he was bornd and I wanted to know your thoughts on the matter now that he is
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here and he is so fine.
My husband do not fear for me or for the children. We are well and we are making do and our Father willing we will continue to do so I know that when you was enlisted you never thought that you was to be gone from us so long and neither did I but you must stay and do your duty until this business is finished Or until our Father calls you to Him if that is His will But you must be strong in your faith in Him and I pray each morning and each night for your soul and ask Him to keep you from sin and in the righteousness of His love. Well husband I must close but you know that I am with you in my thoughts and in my prayers Your affectionate wife, until death.
Elizabeth B. Dobbs
Many thanks to Mrs. Bowling, whereever she is... :)
Copyright 1999 Doug Dobbs
Last revised: March 19, 2001