Dear son I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that we are all well at this date and I hope this will find you the same I got the hat to day I to detroit for it, I think it is your fit, and will suit you very well I want you to look out for someone may hook it from you, I will wrote your name in side of the swe[a]t leather , don’t let eny one [anyone] know it but your self, and you can tel[l] it by that, and if you get sick don’t lay around in camp and suffer for care. But go to the hospittle [hospital] and stay thare [there] til you are well, and be very careful if you get the measles and don’t take cold, for if you do they will kill you sling or milk punch is good to take to drive them out, or to take after they have come out and stay in out of the are till you are well and got your strength, John Van Riper sent you [certificate?] and the rest of the boys, with Jim Hearse for you to [sine?] them, and send them back, so your State bounty could be got, we have heard that govner [governor] has ordered him back to his own Regiment, I want you to write soon as you get this and not fale [fail] to do so, Write and tell us if he has bin [been] there or if you have got it, if you have not we will have one sent to you, and you can put your name to it and send it back to your father from your affectionate Mother to Henry, A. Van Riper

For 100 dollars I want you to by 3 diferant [different] kind of stock and thare [there] would be 94 sheep at 50 [et?] a head and cows at 10 dollars a piece and hogs at 3 dollars a head and how much did he buy all to geather [together] he but 94 head at [illegible] a peace [piece] and [illegible] at 10 dollars a head and 1 hog at 3 dollars