April the 25) 1863 saturdy
My Dear beloved Wife
I have taken my pen in hand once more to rite a few lines to you hope to find my dear quite well as it leaves me at present but my dear wife I have bean waiting all this weake to get a letter from you but non com yet but I think you must rote be fore now and it must be on the road but a long time a comming to me but my dear be loved wife I do hope you ant sick my love I hant got a letter from you cince you told me you had got that monney but I gess thear nothing rong it will all com a round all right after a time but I hope my dear beloved wife be fore you get this letter the war will be all over then I can com hom to my sweat dear wife but I cant take no comfort at all if I dont rite to you if you dont rite to me but I may get one to morrow moring bean Sunday but my dear beloved wife god bleack your dear hart I hardly no wat to rite now for I have rote so much but I must tel you that Johney has bean quite sick with his nack for to or three days but he has got little better now and I am very glad he has got better for I do not want eny of the boys to be sick hear for it is a hard place for a sick man to be but my sweat dear wife I do think we shal all be at hom be fore the summer is out for thay keep fiting now every day but the Kentucky folkes say that thay cant hold out but a little longer and I hope it will com trew my loving wife but I hope god will spare our swet life til we can meat meat a gain soner or later for the weather is good and warm hear to day but I cant tel how long it will last as it is now for we can lay a round stripe to the short and that is all I can think of this time so thear is no more from your well wiching husbon Stephen Burton the one that loves you so dear so good day and god bleash [bless] you and me now and for ever amen
to Stanford Kentucky
my dear wife leave of the captins name for they will com just as well for the boys dont like him for his name ant ant on thear letters now
