[Transcript of Letter from Maud C. Fentress to David Fentress, February 3, 1862] Page: 1 of 4

                                
Bolivar, Feb 3rd 1862

Dearest Child,
I have just received your
kind letter & am truly sorry to hear of /
your sickness, & sincerely grieved to hear of
(?) Browns death. I think I can truly
feel for the bereaved, under such circumstances
more particularly, poor soldiers all my
synpathies are enlisted for them. to die
at home is sad enough, but to die far away
among strangers is heartrending, & so young
& promising as (?) was, & looking
forward no doubt to long life, & a happy
return to his family. The health of Jimmie &
Frank has been severly tried in Camp, & they
know now that their Constitutions are not
iron, but that they must be very careful
to enjoy health. fortunately they both had
measles when children, or they would have
been dead before this. I have seen some of
the nost emaceated men from Camp who
have had that disease brought to this hospital
& all died, that I ever saw in my life. it
is a terrible disease to have in Camp, always