Dear husband

I have seated my self By our window up Stairs to answer the reception of your letters that has arived with in 3 day the 1 dated April 23 the 2 May the 1 I also received one last Monday which I which i answered & sent By Fred Miller it revives us all very much to hear from you often our & especialy when you are well our home looks indeed very Beautiful But it is such a lonely one in your abscence My only hope is that this Rebellion is allmost crushed so there will will Bee many of you released in a short time
I hope you may get home before harvest comes on for it is quite a task to superentend such a farm as this & my household Duties Beside if things remain as they are hands will Be hard to get I have Been trying to make engagements But have made no Positive ones yet the grass & wheat looks fine at present if it only continues so our Pastures do well the hogs are on the clover & are doing well the colts are kept there But they do not require a yoke for they never Jump & are doing well our horses are all

Doing well except Nell I got Newton Barnett to cut the hooks out of her eyes But there is but there is very little change in her yet she is very stiff we finished planting the clover field last wednesday & will plant the other next week the ground is getting very dry & needs rain badly Mr Pucket has the most of his corn grown Plowed & has our Sweet potatoes plants out you wish me to pay purticular attention to the education of the children I have Flora at her uncles Johns going to school & I try to attend to the others as much as possible you must remember I have a greate many things to attend to in your abscence D. Downy Winkler has Just left here he come to see if his mony was ready I had sent the note you sent for him to his Brothers But It had not reached him so I I Informed him that you expected to make a draw soon & the first come I would pay him there has Been no one else called for any yet as for my selfe you know I have some expences But still I have managed to get along my only trouble is that you have been needing it your self I sent you a letter & some socks & Pocket handkerchiefs By hue Barnett [i.e., Corp. Hugh J. Barnett, Co. F, 58th Indiana Infantry] But I suppose you have got them By this time

     I received a letter from Ellen Doom [i.e., Ellen Frances Doom] yesterday they war was all well she says It Is hard living out there [i.e., Cass County, Nebraska Territory] & they Intend moving from where they are now living & to give her love to you I must come to a close for Fred is going to mill & I must send It By him Scott has Been quite un well with the Sore throat But he Is Better to day Grace [i.e., Grace Thomas (b. 1860), the author's daughter] has got to bee quite a talker & thinks a much of the Baby [i.e., Ella Thomas (b. 1862), the author's daughter] Mother & Jane wishes me to Remember them to you the children are ankcious to have you come home pleas excuse my mistakes for they are many write often your af

your affectionate wife
Minerva Thomas

John Wright gave me the letter