Cedar Township Feb'ry 14th 1856
Dear Brother & Sister,
I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that we are
yet alive and well as usual and we hope this will find you enjoying the blessings of health and prosperity. we
should like to hear from you very much but we have not since we left your house, I wrote to you soon after we arrived
here and do not know as you have received it as letters frequently get lost, but how do you do and how are you
and all the rest of our friends getting along do write and let us know don't think because we have got almost out
of the world we do not want to hear from our friends for we do more than ever, we are living with Thomas this winter
he said it would be better for us than to go into a house alone for he was afraid we would be more likely to be
home sick and I believe we should for it has been very cold here this winter people say it has been colder than
for a great while, but it seems colder to us on the account of the houses they don't have as warm ones as they
do at the east they are pretty much all log houses and not very tight at that tho in the town of Vinton which is
six miles they have frame houses, but we have enjoyed as good health so far as we did at the east, the land is
very rich here and people raise an abundance of everything they put into the ground but the worst of it is to get
the land and get it broken fenced and a shelter to live in people who have plenty of money can get along very well,
we have not got any land yet and do not know as we shall be able to unless we can get some one to assist us a little
we cannot get any government land without going out of the world almost for it