Janary 27th 1864
 
    Dear brother  I thought i would
write a few lines to let you know
that we are all well at present we
reci
^your latest letter on January 20th/63
with ten dollars in it.  i thought
i would write you the full particular
about Johns death.  uncle geoge
Wellman when he went down to
Little Rock after Louis he seen John
Then he Said he was very bad sick
then he tried to get a furlough for
hin and couldent do it  and he tried
to get a discharge and then he had to
give him up but he told uncle george
not let us no that he is sick but uncle
george said that he didend think that
he would live over tow weeks then
but he got a furlough week or two after
that and he got far as paris and died on
December 21st he died with the chronic
diarhea press poor was out to paris then
when he com in  mr poor helpt hin
all he could  he touck him to the
hotell and wated on him one night part
of the next day and he come here told
us about it  and father & mother Started after
him quick as they could and got there
two hours before he died  he was in his
rite mind then but tho he was so
weak that he could not talk much he
ask mother. are they all well at home
mother ask him if hert him to talk he said
don't talk to me much for i am so weak
                                        hardly
he was so weak that he could not^speake a
bove his breath as mother touck a seat from
the bed he ask her if she was sleepy she
    him                                      warm
told^no. father got som warm bricks put
his feet and father says to mother i believe
he is dead  John said no. father said
he don't know if he be able get home soon
or not.  John said we will see about that
in the morning when father said to
mother that he believe he was dead
John Said no he said it appears to him like
he was a dreaming. His last words
they could not understand what it was  he throwed
his hands back and muttered out something but
they could not understand what it was a few
minuts befor he died.  he died easy.  the letter
we got from him was dated nov., 8th he said he was
still complaining a little but not dangerous he
sent home Some pine Seed in hi letter and
he said that he would send home Some more
in the next letter  uncle georg brought Louis
back a corpse he got him far as cairo and
died  Well jasper we have to die some time
Well i guess i have nothing more to writ
a bout that but never get discouragede i hope
this war will be over soon for the boys are still
infiting  well jasper i am going to School now
gross Robbertson is our teacher  i heard
that james Edwards was maridd to a Secech
lady  well jasper i  guess i  will not
write any more this time  i weigh
160 pounds  i think iwill send you my
minicher the next time i write  you must [probably "minicher" = miniature as in photograph]
excuse me for making so many mistaes
and bad writing for i wrote it in
a   hury  So no more at present
 
   from   Elias E. Andrews to W J
                                             Andrews
 
I made a mistake
imisunderstood about him Saying
don't talk to me much  it was the
nurseses Said not talk to him much
for he was so weak