July the 28th 1863

Dear Brother & Sister

I received your kind letter a fiew days ago in which you say it has
bin a good while since you wrote to me but longer since you reed
one, in reply I wold say that I answer all the letters I get from you
or the rest of the folks in Ills but at the same time I am willing to
acknowelege that I am carless, not because I have forgoten you all I
still have a fond recolection of you all, and hope I will have as long as
I live. this leaves us usually will we have had a good eal of sickness
since last Christmas Rufus went to Salem last winter to school and
took the mumps and then the Tiphoid fever, was sick thare about
three weeks before we could get him home in March he thought he
was stout enough to go to the mines and got to the Grand round Vally
and took the lung fever and when he got over that he took the inflamatory
Rheumatism he was thare about seven weeks I had to go affir him it is
about 350 miles from here it cost me a bout three hundred & fifty dollars
he is now well as to health but his legs is still weak but he is gaining
Rachel Matilda also had a severe spell of Irsiples, and Tiphoid fever in may
last she is now well in suming up my expinces on the acount of sickness
since last Christmas is in the neighborhood of $500 this is pirty hard on me
but I do not complain it mite have bin a gret eal worse I have bin fortunate
here to fore in regard to doctor bills I do not think that all that I have paid
since I have bin would be fity dollar till this yeare, this has bin the sickliest
season since we have bin here the diseases has mostly bin contgias the scarlet
fever is in the country now it generly goeses hard Thomas Lucas lost a child
the other day the connexion are usually well as faire as I know Grandmother
has bin here twice this spring she generly stays about two weeks she injoys
good health for a person as old as she is she has had a bad cold for two or
three weeks she was geting over it the last we herd I have had a severe attack
of Influensy this spring I have not bin able to work any of acount this spring till
lately I have bin haying for a week or ten days, harvest is on us with a vengence
crops first rate fruit in a bundence & spent two days a while back pulling and
nocking of apples the trees is to full yet I have severel bushes of last years apples
on hand yet and and this years ones geting ripe I think this must be the best fruit
country in the world at least for apples plums & chers and peas as well.

as I was coming home with Rufus I met Levit Phelps and Smith Walaces oldest
boy going to the mines thay was in fine spirits expecting to make there pile I
feare thay will be diapainted though some are making fortunes and thay may be
the lucky ones Wright is up thare at the Bisi Mines he started with Rufus he
wrote he had bin geting fore dollars per day part of the time and part doing
nothing Times is rather dull here at this time our market is gluted with a most
every thing, conseqently hard times. Beef is selling on foot at 3 cts per pound
muton sheep $3 per head bacon 16 cts American Horses is worth from one
to one hundred and fity dollas per hed I have a pair of mateed horses that I have
bin offerd $400. Wheat is worth 75 c per bushel etc

you want to know Sarah Butlers husbands name he signs it James M. Allen.


The Union Men have had some cheering news of late that is the surrender of
Vicksburg & Port Hudson and the victory over Lee in Pennsilavania & other
victories that makes us think that the begining of the end has come may the
work go on until the Rebellion is laid so low that it will never raise its wicked
hed again while time last, thare is a clap of men here that objects to our
burning powder over such victories thay say the union can not be saved by
fighting and that the blood & money spent is all lost and if the government is
saved it must be done by complimise of the acknowledgement of the Southern
Confederacy (God forbid) thay further say that the Abolishonist caused the
war and that it is unconstitutionaly and that all or nearly all of the acts of the
President are violations of the constitution this party calls themsevs Peace
Democrats I wonder if it is the same kind of democracy that you have in Ills if
so I think you are very near Dixie it may be the kind that thay have in New
York and Indiana that is resistin the draft I supose it is, thay say here thay wont
stand the draft if I had time I wold like notice all of the objections in detail I
have not, suffise it to say that the majority of the people of this union has said
and still say that this Rebellion must & shall be put down let it cost what it will.
I am like Dougs in this contest thare is but two sides one for our government
and the other agaist Patriots & Rebels we are makeing the most important History
outside the Bible let us make it well if we tak the ground of this party I have
bin speaking off the future Historian will tell us we was sympathiseers with the
rebellion, but this Pece party say we cannot conqer them I say we can & have
done it in part, part of Virginia Kentucky & Misourii is now Loil Nashvill Memphis
& New Orleans is governd by a fine solder I canot goin to particulas thay say
the Constitution is violated thats nothing but opinion & if it is so the people is
sovering thay can make it right after the war is over let us never stop triing to
save the union the union firs, correct the rongs after the war is over and before
if covenient, my principles is to discard all party and party creed and let every
union man work with all his mite the prise is for him that runs. send your letters
to Bridgeport the letter I got from you lay in the office at Monmouth two week

[to] Matild Smith
J M Butler

M & Isaac Smith