David Thomas Phares Letter
Camp Allen January 5th 1865 Dear Wife, I thank my god, that I can Say to you, that I am in tolerable good health, at this time, that is, my bodily health is good, but my mental health, is worse than it ever has been in my life, for I am considerable troubled in mind, knowing, that unless things take a change, that you are bound to Suffer, from the fact that what little, you have is wasting a way every day, and doing to distruction and no body there, to attend to Such things, that are needed to be attended to, I fear, very much that you will not get you hogs, in fact, I know you will not get them, unless there is Some many good enough no get them for you Dear wife, I want to See you all so bad that I hardly know what to do, Sometime is So much a Scality, and partiality here, that, there is no telling, when I will get a furlough to preserve me, and permit me to come home to you, Someday but it, may not be until We loose all we have, and I, become So worn out, that I will hardly be able to make a living, from what I can see, poor men are loosing all they have, and no prospect of gaining any thing, it looks to me like that every lick we Strike, is only to bring ourselves into bondage, for the poor class of men are worse than negroes now, they are Shot and hunted down with dogs as if they were brutes (? not sure of this word) I think poor John Coleman has been repriened (? not sure of this word) Dear wife, I some times think, that I had rather die, if it was the lords will, than to Stay a way, from you, years or two longer, I will drop this painful Subject for this time, I will send you 3 pens and 1 fine comb, if you have no use for the comb sell it, they are worth from ten to twenty dollars, in Shreveport, write and let me know how you are getting along and wether you have your meet or not if you do not get your hogs I Shall think------- (this part of the page is gone) one, give my love to my friends D. T. Phares