My dear Ralph. I do not write to you today because I owe you a letter. I write to you because I want to hear often from you. I even do not know as you will get this for you may have gone from Little Rock before this gets there. Have you had trouble there? I mean in the army trouble. And is [your brother] James still at Pine Bluff? I have not read of any battles there lately. I think his time must be out or nearly so. And I hope he can go to Kansas and go see [your sister] Augusta , and come on home with her. She intends coming [here] in August. And I hope you will be here then. If you and James want to sell the back lot, you had better come home then. Jack Goodrich will buy it and pay the money down, but [your brother] Stephen wants to buy one share. Land is better property than money, but when this war ends – if it ever does – land will be down as well as money. But you cannot lose all your land. I hoped that James would keep his own and buy yours, and Stephen buy Augusta’s, and so keep it all in our own hands. Stephen could pay Augusta about $200 and the rest would be in interest. James could pay you all, I suppose, if you wanted it, but if in time land should fall [in value] and that land should not be worth more [than] $10 [per acre], he would blame me. It is now worth $25 an acre. Wood and lumber is very high. I wish I could hear from James and know what he thinks about it. I have written to him but do not get any letters from him. If you get this and see James, let him read it. Or if you can send it to him, I wish you would, if he is at Pine Bluff .  

We are all usually well today. Your Aunt Lucy [Fiddis] had a letter from [her son] James last week. He is at Ship Island [off the gulf coast of Mississippi] and doing well I should think by his writing. He sent his mother some money. He has not been off the island since he went there and is boss over 25 men. [Her daughter] Lucy has a large school – over 30 scholars. She now expects to go to the White Mountains in July with a Mr. and Miss Seymour from Smithborough. Miss Seymour is teaching oil painting and Lucy has painted several pieces. She spends every moment she can out of school painting. Miss Seymour has a large class in painting and she teaches music too. The Seymour’s have friends living on or near the mountains. It will not cost Lucy anything after she gets there, so they say. We all advise her to go and I think she will. Your Aunt Lucy is not very well. She has 7 or 8 boarders. Butter is 36 cents a pound and eggs are 20 cents a dozen. Corn is $1.25 cents a bushel and everything accordingly.  

Col. [Benjamin F.] Tracy has resigned. I suppose they are having terrible times near Richmond. Gen. Grant is within 7 miles of the city but many think he will never get in to the city. And if he does not, there will have to be another draft, and what will our country come to? One of Mr. Joe Brink’s sons was killed in one of the last battles.  

Russell Gridley was here two or three weeks ago. He enquired about you. He was going west and thought he should read law. [He] did not know but that he should go to Kansas. I cannot think of anything to write more and I must write to Augusta. Hope you can see James and let him read this.  

Mr. Bristol is south now. Franklin Hollister and his wife were here last week. They had been west to see his wife’s friends and then came to Owego. They had been up to see Roswell Woodbridge and Mrs. Sackett came down with them and your Aunt Lucy came over with them. Frank is my own cousin. They are from Glastonbury [Connecticut]. He has been here twice before. He came with your Uncle [Elizur]. Your Uncle [Elizur] is living in the same house that he did when Augusta was there. They have a son 5 or 6 weeks old. I have not had a letter from him since last summer. I wish you would write to him.  

Monday morning. Ed Stratton came in here last evening and enquired about you and Augusta. From here he went over to see Hellen Bristol but he cannot get her unless her soldier is killed. Ed went to New York [City] last week to buy goods. Cotton goods are a good deal higher than ever [before]. We have to pay 20 cents for brown sugar and 25 cents for white. Goodbye, -- Mother

[P.S.] Frank Hollister said James Hollister, brother to Maria, was in Memphis. Perhaps you will see him. We feel very anxious about you. Have not heard in several weeks. Hope all right with you. James Hollister is a merchant at Memphis. His is cousin to you. He went to Minnesota with his brother Sheldon, and has been in the army a year or two.