Henry Albee letter, December 1862, page 1

Ship Island Dec 19th, 1869

Dear Mother
I will write you a few lines and let you know how we are. I am well and the rest of us as well as can be expected, we lost two men since we started one was from Hadley, the other from Au?ckland his name was Richmond he was nineteen years they done him up in a blanket and throwed him over board. It looked hard, but could do any better we was so far from land. We have enough to eat... [missing half a line]
mutch matter, only a grand day and poor at that, it makes me think of our cities, tell father to save some till we get back. How that c?olt do this winter, give me all the news in general all who is born died and married, and how that wedding of Cynthia's went