64-03-20  Daviess County Missouri  March the 20th 1864  to A & E Damrell from 
John & Amelia Deering 

Dear brother & Sister  I take my pin in hand to address a few lines to you to 
let you know that ware all in the land of the livin an in Common health.  
hoping these few lines may find you all in good health and prosperity.  We 
recieved your kind letter of the 13th of December 1863 three weeks ago 
yesterday which gave us much satisfaction to hear that you was all well.  You 
wanted to know how we was all a geting along and whether I have heard from 
brother Anthony or brother James or any of the connection so I see that you 
have not recieved all of my letters for I am satisfyed that I wrote to you 
that brother Anthony was dead.  he died about the same time that brother 
William died or shortly after.  I recieved a letter from brother James last 
spring.  they was all well then that was at home.  His two sons was bothe in 
the Federal Army and had been for 8 months.  He sayed they had faught through 
Kentucky & Tennessee and one of them had been taken presnor by the rebels at 
Lexington Ky but was exchanged and was back in his regiment and the other one 
was in the battle of ?ulurfresborough? Tennessee whare his brave general was 
shot down right by his side but he fought through the whole five days battle 
without geting a scratch.  They was bothe at that place when he wrote but I 
expect they went from thare to Chattinooge.  He wrote that brother Williams 
family was all secesh and the booys was in the rebel service and he says what 
has caused all and answers two little niggirs and old satan in the shape of a 
secesh preacher a preaching secesh doctrin to them.  Now I will try to till 
you how we ar geting along well we are a geting along as well as could be 
expected under the circumstances.  Mathew Cannon my youngest son and the only 
one that I had with me went in to the enroled malitia last July a year ago and 
the 4th day of last may he volentered in the 3 years Missouri State Malitia 
and has not been at home since he was out on the Osage river all last summer a 
fighting the bushwhackers and I expect he will go across the planes to guard 
the government trains to New Mexico.  Consequently I am left alone to do the 
bes I can in my old age.  I rented out a part of my farm last year and tended 
what I could myself and made enough to do me with what old corn I had on hand 
and fattend 18 head of hogs.  I sold about fifty dollars worth of pork and 
Mathew sent me ninety five dollars so I think that through the kind providence 
of God we will get along by hard tuging on my part.  there is no chance to 
hire any person here. I do not know how I will come out farming this year.  I 
am so worn down with hardships and trouble and infirmitys and old age that I 
am sometimes almost ready to give up.  If there was any hands to hire I could 
get along.  Mathew gets twenty five dollars a month and he wrote to me that if 
his wages would keep me from exposing myself I should have it.  You wanted to 
know how all of my children was a doing.  well they are scattered about so 
that I cannot tell much about some of them but I suppose from what I can learn 
they are a geting tolerable well.  My oldest daughter Mary Ann is in the 
southeast part of this state and Amanda is in Platt County & William is in 
Nodaway County and Sarah is in Decalb County 10 miles from me but is a going 
to Oregon this spring.  James has been in the Federal service in Kentucky and 
Tennessee prtty much ever since the war commenced.  Henry lives in 2 1/2 miles 
 & John in 7 miles of me.  Write soon and let me know where all your children 
is and how they are geting along. nothing nothing more but remains you 
affectional brother & sister until death.       John Deering    Ameila Deering