Camp in the field near Whinchester VaSept 12th 1864My dear Wife,

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I just recd your letter of the 5th inst informing me of the consummate meanness of the Clough. It is not enough that I am sacrificing my health and perhaps life for my country and earn the means to pay my debts but I must be put to the mortification with my family of having a trifle of property attached to gratify a malicious and trillianous meanings. I did not understand the figures in your letter. No matter. Look to his account well see how much I have charged against him and if you can without distressing yourself, pay the scoundral, but make him pay his own costs if you can. My object is more to deprive the shunk of getting the [] for nothing than me to pay him.

I some times feel that it is but little use for me to ever try to get any thing, for our

comfort or that of our dear children, and I think that you will [] by [] from these anoyances till I am out of the way Bad luck attends all my [] efforts.

I pitty any dear child very much and sorry I am not there to console her.

If we all live we will have something to join our voices together write and sing our praises to him who is our shield and our buckles. Let us hear this little misfortune with beaming fortitude, and thank God that it is not the loss of another of our dear children. Have Bates attend to this business for you.

My health is better. Give my love to our dear dear children, and accept that which write nor law can take from you my sincere love.

Your affectionate husbandJ.C. Rutherford