White Station Tennesee May the 3rd 1863  My Dear Wife   I just receivd your welcome letter of the 25th and was very glad to here from you/ I am very sorry that your health is so bad and I wish I could be with you but it seemes to be Gods will  that is should be so/ I hope the tiem may soon com when we shell all live togather again in pease and harmony and live nearer unto God then we have don before/ if we would have done our duty as we should toward God we would not have had this unholy rebelion/ I for my part feal as I want to lead a different life then what I have done and if all could  back side up to be good men and women/ I wish I could and get som of that fresh butter and milk that you have at home but as I can   t have any it dose me good that you have it to enjoy and enough of it all tho I can   t complain/ I  have plenty to eate but not such things as you have at home and I have very good health just now and I hope when you get this this may find you all the same so no more at pressent you affectionate Husband  J. G. Burggraf  write evry week and I will doo the same so write soon 
        inside     left feal so thair would soon be pease in our contry once more/ thair is no prospect of my giting to com home as yet/ thay are giving furlows now but thay are giving them in rotation to men that have never bin home yet and only 2 and 3 men at a time for 30 days out of a company and that will be a long while before it will com my turn as thair are a good many that have never bin home yet to see thair frainds/ I wish you could com to see me here/ it is a very plesent plse here where our campe is in a beautiful grove and I have a  good time/ have not much to and my rest evry night/ it would be very plessent if you could be here for a while/ that is if we chould stay here/ but is very inside     right uncertain/ we are lieble to be called off most any time as thair is som fiting going on just south of us most evry day/ the rebles would like to teare up this Railroad we are on and capture some of the traines that run over this road loadet with provishon/ thay are trying all the time to make a dash on the road somwhere/ our men are scaterd all along the road to wach it and on every train thair is a havy gard to go with it/ I am sorry to here about William having a sore neck for it is in a bad plase/ I hope it will soon get well again and that we will try to be a  good boy and be some help to you and I hope Frank and Liza will do the same and grow