Letters from a soldier from Chatham13938 Reads  

Roxbury July 18 1775 To my Dear wife & Children I Received yours which I Prize next to your Person. The welfare of our family I understand is good. You tell me John is fat & Rugged which I Rejoice to hear & Prize above gold. The Rest of our Children I Don’t mention be Cause I Left them well.

I shall give you but a Short Detail of affairs for I Expect this will not arrive … the State of the army is such that I Cant tell when I Shall Come home but I have In Couragem’t of Comeing in about a month but not Certain. I want you to Send me two Pair of Linen Stockings for I have had two Pair Stole. The Rest are all wore out. I Did not Receive in Your Last Letter to me what I Expected but hope to in the next. Dear maddam I Rejoice that I am able to acquaint you that I Enjoy a good State of Health & god be Praised our Company is harty — the Dangers we are to Encounter I no not but it Shall never be Said to my Children your father was a Coward. Let the event be what it will, be not troubled, make your Self Easy. Iin Due time I hope to Return home in Peace & Enjoy the pleasures of worthy wife & Loving Children & Subscribe my Self your Loving Husband & father Samll Cooper July 23, 1775 Dear maddam My Respects to you & Children. Hoping they are all well and will Continue So till I Return. I wrote to you that I Should Come home this Summer but the General has given orders that no officer Shall Leave the Camps & I would have you be Content for I mean to Comply with orders. Let the Event be as it will. Send to Shipman & get Some Cloth & Send me a Shirt or two and the Jacoat I wrote for. I have sent by Dill to Stop my house Comeing for fear he will forget it I mention it hear I shall but a word. Dear wife I am able to acquaint you that I Enjoy my health Exceeding well and hope in Due time to See you again. Tell our Little Children that Dadde has not forgot them & that they must Learn their books well. I have Sent them Some Paper to make them Bonets. From your Ever Loving Husband. Samll Cooper. This I Part with a Kiss August 2, 1775 Loving wife & Child I have one moment this morning to write to Let you that we have not had no Battle this night & matters Seem to be a Little more Easy & no firing. Some Regulars kild at Cambridge yesterday. Dear wife be not Concerned for me but take Special Care of our Children. I Cant write no more for want of this is only to Let you no that things move Easy this morning. From your friend & Husband. Sam’l Cooper I have Sent in toms Letter two Ribbands. Do with one as you Please. This is olives. Quebeck Dec 24 1775 To Esqr Sage I write a word to inform you of us here at Quebeck. The notice is short and David not Present, but he is well and harty; but has been sick, but I think I never saw him more fleshe, father can inform you of our travel and affairs. The men that came from Chatham are all well and harty but Goff [probably Joseph] and he will soon be so; but I fear the Small Pox will be too frequent among us for good.