Dear father and mother

I take this oppertunity to let you no that I am well and hope this may finde you the Saim, I have got my likness taken and i thought that I wold Send it home to you i had a notion to wait till i got a letter from you but i think that i Can right a fiew lines that will interest you a littel if i Can i am giting a long fine Since i had the measels but the boys laughs at me fore riting to you before i had them but i thought that i had them but it mad me mad that i had to have them a Gain but it is all right now the boys had all had them that has to have them i gess i have to laugh Some yett but i will Soon bee over that you Can See in my likness that my eyes is a litel Soer when i had it taken Causes by Coughing dad we think that we will be home a gin Spring that is the talk now the times indicat the end of the war the rebels wont to Stop fiting we dont no whether to let them Go or not but if they will Give up and Say that they air whiped then we will Stop but not till then I Shal right to unchel Gorge roler and if he dont answer i will make him right to me the boys keep fetchen in the rebels every Day there has ben one hung that we tuk and there is fore or five more that will bee hung this week that is the way that we will Sarve them all the time they have Got to Give up to the union belt Crow told me to tell you that he is on Gard and he Cant right this time you Can git a Case and put the likness in i Can Send it beter in a letter than i Can in a Case it is the best that i Cold Git it taken i Cold not Git it standing up but it is me i will Send one to unchel benn i think maby i dont no yett I think that you will See mee bee fore long you must right of ten to me i will Send one to ant nancy egbert She rote to me fore it i told her that i wold Send her one to look at you Can tell the boys i am well and that i Send my best respects to them all tell robert anderson to that i wold lik to hear from him once i have riten to him twice and have not Got any answer yett tell henry that he must fix the old Sleigh up and then he Can Go it the nicest kind this winter I Gess that i will Close fore this time I wont you to right to me whether you Git the likness i Shal right to you in the next letter a bout it i wont to no whether you Git it that is all i wont
this is from B. F. Harrison to
W. H. Harrison and mother the
likness is fathers and mothers
right Soon very Soon to me
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the same day
Dear friends as benjamin has got done writing and wants me to write a little I thought I would do it I am well and doing the best kind they have confiscated so many horses that it take six of us to tend to them and it keeps us busy we have about ten a piece a good many of the horses has been in the southern army and they look hard and so does the prisners and I expect feel worse than they look worse I know I should if I was in their place we dont know wheather we will have any fighting or not yet we cant tell untill our colonel gets back from congress we are expecting every day to hear of a battle ar rolla it is about 80 miles west of where we are it is on the same railroad the last we heard was that price was within 75 miles of there with his men but we have 45,000 there and ten thousand of them is cavalry there aint any need of any more troops there I have a kind of idea we will stay in this part of Mo. this winter but cant tell any thing about what we are going to do one day ahead I haint much to write at this time so you will have to excuse me for not writing more hoping this may find you all well and all the rest of my friends so no more write as often as you can one and all
From Joshua Steward
To William H. Harrison
& family

Transcribed by Majorie Nemitz

Dear Father and Mother,
I take this opportunity to let you know that I am well and hope this may find you the same.
I have got my likness taken and I thought that I would send it home to you. I had a notion to wait till I got a letter from you, but I think that I can write a few lines that will interest you a little if I can.
I am geting along fine since I had the measels, but the boys laugh at me for writing to you before I had them, but I thought that I had them. But it made me mad that I had to have them again, but it is all right now. The boys had all had them that has to have them. I guess I have to laugh some yet, but I will soon be over that.
You can see in my likness that my eyes is a little sore when I had it taken. Caused by coughing.
Dad, we think that we will be home again spring. That is the talk now. The times indicate the end of the war. The rebels want to stop fighting. We don't know whether to let them go or not, but if they will give up and say that they are whipped then we will stop, but not till then.
I shall write to Uncle George Roller and if he don't answer, I will make him write to me.
The boys keep fetching in the rebels. Every day there has been one hung that we took and there is foue or five more that will be hung this week. That is the way that we will serve them all the time. They have got to give up to the Union.
Belt Crow told me to tell you that he is on guard and he can't write this time.
You can get a case and put the likness in. I can send it better in a letter than I can in a case. It is the best that I could get taken. I could not git it standing up, but it is me. I will send one to Uncle Ben. I think maybe. I don't know yet. I think that you will see me before long. You must write often to me. I will send one to Aunt Nancy Egbert. She wrote to me for it. I told her that I would send her one to look at.
You can tell the boys I am well and that I send my best respects to them all. Tell Robert Anderson, too, that I would like to hear from him once. I have writen to him twice and have not got any answer yet. Tell Henry that he must fix the old sleigh up and then he can go it the nicest kind this winter.
I guess that I will close for this time. I want you to write to me whether you get the likness. I shall write to you in the next letter about it. I want to know whether you get it. That is all I want.
This is from B. F. Harrison to
W. H. Harrison and mother
The likness is father's and mother's
Write soon, very soon to me.
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the same day
Dear friends,
As Benjamin has got done writing and wants me to write a little, I thought I would do it. I am well and doing the best kind. They have confiscated so many horses that it takes six of us to tend to them and it keeps us busy. We have about ten apiece. A good many of the horses has been in the southern army and they look hard and so does the prisoners and I expect they feel worse than they look. Worse I know I should if I was in their place. We don't know whether we will have any fighting or not yet. We can't tell until our Colonel gets back from Congress. We are expecting every day to hear of a battle at Rolla. It is about 80 miles west of where we are. It is on the same railroad. The last we heard was that Price was within 75 miles of there with his men, but we have 45,000 there and ten thousand of them is cavalry. There ain't any need of any more troops there. I have a kind of idea we will stay in this part of Mo. this winter but can't tell any thing about what we are going to do one day ahead. I hain't much to write at this time, so you will have to excuse me for not writing more. Hoping this may find you all well and all the rest of my friends. So no more. Write as often as you can, one and all.
From Joshua Steward
To William H. Harrison
& family

Edited by Richard Harrison