p.

East Montpelier 6th of 3rd mo. 1864

My dear son

Thy short & infrequent letters are a
great comfort to us - we all long to see thee - Mary
got thine of the 14th ult. last week - I have been to Stowe
& went to see Henry - he appeared in first rate spirits
& thinks he shall get well - he appears to have every kind-
ness & care that affection can suggest - he showed me
his letter from thee & said he had replied to it - uncle
& aunt O. were in usual health -

My dear Boy 20th of 3rd mo.

We saw in the papers thy name, among the released
prisoners & I was looking for thee every hour, so felt disappointed
to get thy letters - but I trust I do not forget to be grateful for thy
release, tho' we have all the time supposed that all exchanged
prisoners had a furlough - It seems to me like a very special favor
that thy turn came when it did - we hear that the rebs. flatly re-
fuse to exchange any more & that they were intending to blow
up the prison if Kilpatrick had entered the city - We are very
anxious to hear all the particulars, that thee can afford to write
of thy life, for the past five months - I do not suppose thee could
tell but little of the truth in those brief unsealed letters - it appears

[in left margin:]

Thomas & James are well & have gone to Calais to-day - Leander Harvey [sawed?] [4?] days at our door
last week - T. has got up a very large pile of logs, such as would not split into good wood - he sells
the short wood that is fit for market very readily - wood is 4 dollars a
cord - & bark 8 & 9 -
we concluded thee had
lost off thy needle book
& Mary made another.
Fare well my
dear boy - May
the Dear Father
above have thee
still in his
precious keeping
Thy own
mother
R.B. Stevens