William Elisha Stoker to Elizabeth E. Stoker, December 6, 1862

Dec the 6th 1862

Camp Bio Meter Near Brownsviille [Brownsville] Arkan [Arkansas]

Dear Wife I embrace the presant opportunity of writeting you a few lines in answer to yours which came to hand on the 1st of this month about 10 oclock in the night. I was asleep when the mail come. Some of the boys went and got the letters and brought them into the company and hollowed [hollered] a letter for W. E. Stoker. It woke me and I can tell you it dident take me long to get up and as quick as I looked at it I knew who it was from. I bilt up a light and red it. I was glad to hear that you and familey was well. It affords me a great deal of pleasure to hear from you. This leavs me well and I hope when they come to hand it will find you and familey well. Ive nothing new to write that would interest you. Ant Johnson has got back. He brings bad nuse from that part of the cuntry. He sais the small pox is in that cuntry. He sais [Spenser?] Clark got home with it from the armey and dide and that there is five new cacees in the familey. It isent more than 7 miles from you about 4 from Mother. There was lots of the neighbors went to see him while he was sick before they knew what was the matter with him. They will take it and scatter it all over the hole cuntry. I want you to vaxinate and hav Priscilla and all the negros forth with. Dr Crowder has got plenty of scabs. I give him one that come off of my arm. I had the worst kind of an arm the spring before I was married. The small pox is out hear too. There was a man that come from the other side of the Missippi [Mississippi] and was taken sick in a house not more than too miles from hear. The Doctors examined him after he had ben there several dais with the fevar on him and found out it was the small pox. The soldiers viseting the house and passing every day they hav mooved him off but we are looking for it to break out in this armey every day. We boys was thinking of desertting and comeing home if it did and dident break out in this regament first but if it does we cant for fear we get home and take it our selfs. We hav got orders to all vaxinate. You wantted to know whether I wanted Fealian altered or not. Tell the old man to look at him and if he thinkes he will make a fine stable horse keep him and if he dont and just thinks he will be a common horse alter him next spring. If he is getting trubblesome and if he aint let him run it. It will stunt his growth to alter him so yung. Get the old man to attend to him for you if he has to be altered. There is danger of looseing him if he aint propperley attended to. The old man Heathcox and Vickas and Hollis has ben up here to se there boys. They hav left for home. I sent too pare of pants back by them. I told Vickes to giv them to Mr Heathcox when then separate and if he forgot it and took them home with him to send them over to Mr. Griffins and you could send after them. I sowed them up in the same cloth you sent my clothing in. I never altered the brand. It is in the same brand thus Mrs W. E. Stoker. I just put Mrs before my name. I had more than I could toat and aplenty without them and I sold that little white pare of drawers. Besides I wore too soots all the summer with the expectation of having part of them to throw away but I got a chance to send the too pare home that I had wore. I thaught they would do alf some good. They are good yet one pare of them I got a hole snaged in. You can see some of my patching. Nothing more. lIe close by saying I remain your effectionate husband untill death. Kiss Priscilla for me and Ile kiss you on sight.

William E. Stoker. To E. E. Stoker