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

New Orleans
Oct 21th 1864
Dear friends at Home
I again seat myself to pen a few lines to you to let you know that I am ganing [gaining] some in flesh but feele quite feeble yet.  I have ben wating [waiting] a long time to get a letter from you and have not wrote as often as I should if I had heard from home before.  I reseived your kind and welcomed letter of Oct 2th last night the first that I have reseived from you since the 5 of sept in which I found Dars photograph so you may guess that I began to feele somwheat [somewhat] uneasy about home[.]  Well now Uncle has written 1 or 2 letters to you and boy John has written 2 or 3 for me and 1 for himself to father and I have written sevrell home myself but you do not mention whether you have reseived them or not.  but if you have reseived them and answer them pleas mention it in you next[,] for Uncle and boy John have ben wating for a answer to their letters for a long while.  Well Mother I wish when you write me you would mention back to different letters you have wrote me and in evry [every] litter how long it has ben since you last wrote then I will I know whether I get all your letters or not.  And untill I give you different directions I want you should direct your letters to me without Co or regiment in cair of W.H.H. Witherell.  I do not know yet whether I shall get a furlow or not but I want you should send me the gloves as soone as possible and direct the same as the letters.
Well I have not much to write for evry thing is about the same here but Uncle has got through mooving and well settled at his new home but does not know how long he will stay here for the place is to be sold before long[.]  Aunt Kate had the misfortune to stick a nail in hir [her] foot the day after they got moved[,] that laid hir up for over a week but she is up around the house now[.]  perhaps you and the rest of Aunts friends up north think that Aunt has nothing to do but if you had ben here as long as I have you would think diferent. 
Aunt is as my like you [is as like you] as can be[.]  she may have as meny searvents [servants] as she is a minde to but she must be in the kitchen herself and see to every thing and then she does all of her own sowing [sewing] for the family[,] in fact she is buisy all the time and now [no] one to thanke hir for it for her son is all the time a scolding her for working so and Uncle heardly ever speeks at all[,] he is just like Aunt sarah.  You wanted to know something about the boys from the falls [Rensselaer Falls] well I have not heard from them for 10 weeks and as for Magor Willams I have not seene him since we left the plantation befor the rebs took so meny priseners their [there] so you probley know more about them than I do or can find out by enquring [inquiring] of Mr Crayons folks.
You can see by this letter that I do not have much to write so while I stay here with Uncle I shall send now and then a book or paper to you in place of a letter so when you reseived them you may know that I am well unless I write diferent but I want you should be shure [sure] and write or send a paper every weeke so that I may know that you are all well at home[.]
Tell Emma that I was very glad to hear from her and that I hope that she will write as often as she can.  Flory was much pleased with hir book mark and sead that she would like to hear from hir but Emma feeles very mutch slited [slighted] for you did not so mutch as mention hir name.  Give my best respects to Jane and tell her I want to know if they have had eny Appel pasings this fall also that I would be very glad to hear from her and altho [although] I am a very poor hand to write a letter I will try to answer it the best I can.  My love to all and best respects to all enquiring friends.  Now I must close by asking you to write all about the draft and all news about home[.]  this from your son     John Revillo Sunderland