Dear friends at home I again seat myself to pen a few lines

St Louis Hospital
Aug 15th [18]64
Dear Friends at home
I again seat myself to pen a few lines to you in answer to yours of the 20th of July which I reseived a week ago yesterday.  Well you will be some wheat surprised to hear from me at this place but you neede not fret about me for I am not very sick now so I think I shall try and get in here as nurce for it is a nice helthy Hospital.
Well I will tell you how I hapend to get here[.]  I wrote you before how I was detailed as nurce in the regemental Hospital and was taken sick their [there].  Well I was sick for 8 or 10 days and was getting quite smart so the doctor had not given me eny medisen for 3 days but would not let me do eny work for he sead that he wanted that I should get in my strength.  Well on the 3 day after he quite [quit] given me medisen and that was last wedensday their [there] was a boat came to take 100 of the sick down to N.O. and the first thing I knew the doctor orderd me to pack my things and get abord [aboard] of the boat[,] for seys he you [he says you] will have a better chance to gain your strength down their [there].  Well we arrived at N.O. the same evening and thursday morning we wer moved up the Hospital and after diner I wrote a few lines to my Uncle and sent it to the office and Saturday he came to see me and I found him to be a nice old man[,] that is I call him old but I do not think he looks old for his age[.]  Well I had a good visit with him and when he left he sead that he was agoing to see the Doctor and try and get a chance to take me home with him but if he could not[,] that the girls and John [the Uncle’s children] would be down to see me on Sunday[.]  Well I wated [waited] until sunday afternoon and uncle came again to see me[,] he sead that the doctor partley agreede to let me go home with him but he thought that I had better stay untill to day so I expect to go home with him this afternoon.  Uncle seys that they are all well excep [except] Aunt Kate[.]  he sey that hur [her] helth is quite poor this sumer.  Well at the time I reseived your last letter I did not expect to see my Uncle quite so soon but I have and I like his aperince [appearance] first rate [-] she [he] seemes to be willing to help eny body and I think he is a nice man.  Well I will close by asking you to excuse all mistakes and write often and write all the news and all about the farming and in your first letter after reseiving this you mite put in a few lines to your brother for I think I shall be here then[.]  no more this time from your son             J. R Sunderland
Adress your letters just as I write the directions
J. R. Sunderland
New Oorleans St. Louis
U. S. A. Hospital L.A.
Co K Scots 900