Nelly Crain March 7, 1863

	March 7th	1863
		Dear Sister

I received your letter last evening and was glad to hear that you are all well and that your husband is with you again I suppose you are all overjoyed we are all in as good health as usual complaining a little My husband is with me yet but I dont know how long he will be they have cleared the draft in this Township for the present call by hireing volunteers they paid them four hundred dollars bounty to a man Lute paid fifty five dollars and he paid 20 last fall so you see it takes all we can make to support the war and pay taxes and work hard at that but I had rather do it in that way if he can only stay at home for I know I would never endure the hardships of war but I expect he will have to like a great many others but I never will consent to it till I am obliged to Nemiah and Lucius and John Aldrich and Aaron Maple and Billy King and godfrey Gatterson have volunteered to escape being drafted and guet the bounty Jason has been in a great sweat about it he has talked some of enlisting they are trying to clear their town but I dont know whether they will or not O how I wish this war over but I guess it never will be till the young men are all killed and the old men and niggers rule but I hope I shant live to see that for I think there will be harder times then than there is now
I was at fathers and jasons last week they were all well David Aldrich and family were out here on a visit they have no children only Lorain She is nearly Eightten is an inttelligent + pretty girl but enjoys very poor health - She is subject to Haveing fits or spasms which I fear will ruin her they have spent a great deal in doctoring her and she is a constant care on their minds her mother is here and loks care worn so I see that I am not the only that has trouble what is it to bury a child to what it would be have become an idiot! they live in Ill and I gave them your Post office addres and may be they will hunt you up but I expect they live farther north than you I have not been down the crick this winter they tell me Aunt Laurys health is very por Henrys folks have two boys David an Simeon Timothy has two Lucinda one but I have never seen them for they dont come to see me and Lute has so much to do that he haint much time to visit I haint heard anything From Livea since newyears I wonder what she is about C suppose she is fretting herself to death becaus goods dont come down For will dont make only 75 dollas a month and cant hardly kep up with the times for folks dress better than they did when goods were cheap Mrs Potter was here yesterday she is the same old sixpense she has ben married and unmarried and wants to be married saturday pm Lucus is going to town this afternoon and I shal have to close this in hurry so that I can send it by him you spoke of going west where do you think of going I think you are far enough off unless you can find a better place I think if I go west I shall go to Idaho I should like to see a little gold once more I am guetting sick of old Abes poker rags I wish you lived at hamilton I would go and se you this afternoon but there is no one there that I care Anything about since Lucy Tubs went away and I seldom ever go she has a son since she went back I want you to write again soon and write often I want to se you all

to Celina and Jonas Roe

Nellie Crain

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