Chippawa June 27 1864
Canada West

My dear Donald

I hope you have received my last letter in response to yours of the 4th of June. Some days after I had written, we received the letter you wrote in pencil and you mentioned having sent without stamps. It had been a long time coming- quite three weeks. My dear boy, what a state you must be in between fatigue and the great heat (for it must be very hot where you are). I do not see how you keep up. I think of you all the time and wish the dreadful war was over and you were safe at home once more. I hope you have a friend who would let us know if you were sick or anything should happen to prevent your writing. It is just two weeks today since I received your last letter. How I long for another and to know if you are safe and well. I hope you will be able to stand the heat as well as you seem to be able to stand the damp and cold. The weather has been much warmer here than is usual so early in the summer and all the gardens and crops are dying for want of rain. Field strawberries have been very plenty. I wish you had been here to share them with us.

There was a Grand [?] at the Falls last week. Papa and Rhoda went to see it. They met Minnie [?] - Miss Hyde and Jimmie and Harry. The railway is going on between the village and Fort Eire. They have commenced the bridge. All is very quiet here nothing of any consequence has happened for a long time. We seldom see Leonard as farm work must be done notwithstanding all the heat - and they are all busy.

Rhoda has not been very well for some weeks and looks thin. I am better than I was in winter and like the heat better than the extreme cold.

Our friends are all well. Your Uncle George is very busy getting the story added to his house and your Aunt Maria and the children are at * with Mrs. Harrell.

The North seems to be loosing ground and it is generally thought here that the South will gain their ground - after all it matters not to us which gains but I wish they would end it in some way. To be killing each other in this way is very dreadful. Have many that you knew been killed and have you met any from Canada? We never hear or see anything of the Armbridges or any of the * since early this spring. I must now say goodbye. Papa is ready to go to the post office with kind love to you from all here

I remain
My dearest Donald
Your affectionate
Mamma