am perfectly delighted with your likeness, I think it a real good one, the best one perhaps you ever had, I see you have grown fleshy, your face is as rosy as ever, I wish I could send you a real good one, but I hope you will be soon home to see the original, which I know will please you much better.  I am feeling quite well now & am quite fleshy; I was very much pleased with Mr. Christy, he appears to be a fine man he said that you were coming home in six weeks.  O! I fairly danced for joy, I did jump up & down when he went away, he told me that he thought Jennings would resign & that Hull would propably be promoted; if that proves true you will stand chance for something, & I think if merit is the prerequisite of promotion you will be Capt - O I do hope you may, for I know you would be good to your men, and I suppose you are on the march again. O! I am so uneasy for fear you will be sent to Vicksburg; Mr. Christy seemed to feel very hopeful, sometimes I feel so & then again I am discouraged, but I want to ask you now before I forget, is what assurance you have of coming home, if you have any or did you want to keep it a secret? if you are coming do let me know for I don't know what might happen if you were to come home unexpectly, but - I beg of you don't stand on formality if you get a chance to come before you have an opportunity of writing, you know that you will be welcome, I have your likeness lying on the table beside me while I write, it looks so much like you I love to look at it & your letter did me so much good, O! I did enjoy it "hugely", but I must be careful or I shall be criticized for using "slang", that was right I stand corrected but you had better be careful how you pick up words while you are away or I shall be correcting you all the while.  I declare I feel so excited that I can hardly write, to think you are coming home but - I must not be to much elated for fear I may be disappointed, but you will write me soon
