Otsego Feb 14th 1862Respected Brother and Sister

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I now take my pen in hand to inform you of my health which is not verry good this winter I have the [Phthisis] and Rheumatism and am not able to do much I hope these lines will find you and yours in good health We have written 2 Letters and have had no answers and want to hear from you verry much Lemuel and family were well the last we heard from them he lives 10 miles off Lyman is here a part of the time We have had 3 or 4 weeks sledding this winter 7 or 8 inches of snow now We are wintering 21 head of cattle 2 horse 29 sheep 17 Hogs We have plenty of hay sold 4 or 5 tons 5.00 a ton wheat worth from 80 to 1.00 Corn 25 cts Pork 2 1/2 cts and other things in proportion Groceries high Tea 1.25 money hard to be got by those in debt I owe nothing I suppose not 10 dollars I have since I saw you Built a house and Barn which cost over 4.00 dollars A great many of our young men have gone to war and I hope this rebellion will soon be put down and Slavery and oppression cease to exist in all our land It seems to me that our rulers are trying to preserve Slavery while South they are seeking to extend Slavery I think emancipation the surest and remedy to put down this rebellion Carseldanas 2 children are both well Abner C lives with us Hosea lives with his Grandfather Holdridge about six miles from us

Lyman is not here now he is off Preaching he is a Free Mission Baptist Ordained a year ago Last fall Seth and Verona are not neither of them verry tough Seth has the Rheumatic considerable bad Their little girl Eveline 4 years old red hair for the most of the time tolerable healthy They send their respects to you all and D. and L Willey Give my respects to C and the rest of your Children Likewise to D. and L and all other inquiring friends I would like to have you write as soon as you receive this and let me know how you are and how you prosper and what you know of our relations and all about my old neighbors Brother L. has 80 Acres of Land about paid for with some improvements wild Land is worth from 10 to 15 dollars an Acre as to quality and improved farms from 14 to 40 dollars I have 120 acres There has been a few cases of the Small pox in this vicinity brought by returning soldiers but for the most part of the time it has been tolerable healthy I am getting old, lame and my health is not good so I do not know as I shall see you again Unless you come to see me I have nothing more of importance to write but trust and hope if we never more see each other in this world we may meet in Heaven to part no more and may God so help each of us that We may live in this life so that we may gain the haven of eternal rest I must now draw to a close by subscribing myself

your affectionate Brother till DeathMoses S. Colton

P.S. I read a letter from H. Dwinnell last spring stating that Amos was dead but nothing about Sally write about them