p.

In camp at Murfreesboro Tenne
April 5th 1863
Dearest Lydia
I received yesterday your
letter written last Sunday, and I also received
one from Eph & Emily for all of which I am
very thankful, but in yours I find a few
things that want answering
I do not like what Carpenter said to you, I can
not, will not like it - that he expected you
would work for him as long as I was gone
by which it would seem that all he wants
you to stay there for is to work for him
and that you have got to work whether you
are well or not, - now that smells a little
too strong of selfishness and if that is his
feeling on the subject, I want you to leave
there if it takes all I earn to keep you
He shall not make a slave of you if I can
help it, - By the way Emily writes that Mother
and Jane talk of going east this summer
and that if they do you are going to live
with Elvira, now I think this an argreable
arrangement and hope it can be brought
about, but if this should not happen there
is one thing you must abandon, and that
is the idea of housekeeping, unless you