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The text of the letter reads:
April 4th 65Mrs. Phillips Dear friend I now take my seat to drop you a few lines as I feel it my duty to do so. I hope this may safely reach you & find you & children in good health. My health is not good at the present nor has not bin for several months. I would come of seen you but have not bin able to do so tho I shall come some time as soon as my health will admit of it. I got home the 1st of April. I left Rock Island the 2nd March. I have just rec'd a note from Mrs. Bolding she said you wished to know if your husband was dead. I am sorry to say he is he died at the hospittle at the same prison I was at he had cronick dyreha he died the 20th of September 1864. Poor Dock he was one of my best friends & he requested me to see you to give you his pocket book. He had no money. There was 3 combs a short pencil & a tooth pick he made the tooth pick himself. He did not talk much about you & children tho said he would like to see you all. He said he was willing to dy if it was gods will tho he would like to dy at home. He was buryed on Rock Island a half mile from the prison & was put away very well & in a nice plain pine coffin. Poor fellow he is gone where many hundred went while we was there yes paid the debt we all owe he is better off I hope. He is done with this cruel war it seems that we will all have to dy or bee killed or perish to death before we can have peace. Poor dock is done wearying with it now & I hope & believe he is better off in a better world. So cheer up & don't grieve after gods works he doth all for the best. I gave the pocket book to Mr. Samuel Wright to give to you which he said he would do. I would have brought it to you but was not able. I hope to see you soon & then I will tell you all about it. So no more at the present. Yours truly, P.L Farmer.
Mrs. D.N. Phillips
at home
By A friend
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© 1996, 2000 Katherine Cochrane
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