Paducah Ky Feb 19th/65 Dear Eliza  When I receivd your welcom letter last week I was quite sick in bet and not able to answer it then but thank  God I keal quite well again and have bin at worck again yesterday it is to day the finest day we have had since we com here Will and I have bin to the brisbytarian church this fournoon and are going agin as soon as I get this letter don I think I will sent Will  home as soon as I can get an opertunity to sent him with somebody     it will  not do to let him run about here  and doo nothing he has bin pedling aples but has got tierd of it and want to run about and lern bad habids I am afraid of 
        inside     left Will is injoying good health here and I wish he could stay here till spring it may be that I can get some imployment for him enough to pay his bord I wish I could be like Col Pease now is to com home and stay but I think the time is not far distent when we all shell be at home again to injoy each others society again in pease I think the whole thing depends on the armay of Grand  Ulysses S. Grant   William Tecumseh Sherman  Sharman and  George Henry  Thomas if thay are sugcesful I think the fiting will be over this Spring at least I hope so but God knows what is best for us I hope I will get a chance to com home this Spring awhile if not and we Stay here you can com down here and spent a week or two I wish I could serfe out the balance of my time here inside     right Tom Smith is better again and says thair a chance for some one in Centralia to fight him now if he wants to fight he often talks about the times he had while he was in Centralia his time will soon be out and then he can have a good time and get Marrid if he wants to I know nothing more to wrte at  pressent hoping this may find you all well as this leaves me at pressent give my love to all your affectionate husband   J. G. Burggraf  write soon)