Dear Aunt & Cousins

I will drop you few lines to lit you know that we ar yet in the land of the living this leaves us all well hiping you all the same We received yours of May the 27 Was glad to hear from you & to hear that you was doing well We ar having oneof the dryest & hottest summer that I ever expirenced in E. Tenn it has not rained hear since the last day of June 5 weeks to day Corn & all vegitation is burning up fast Corn in this Co could not make a half a crop with all the rane that could fall a great deel of good ground want avrage 2 bushels to the acre the Wheat crop was vary light the weather vary warm the theirmometir up to 96 to 104 in the shade up to 90 to day Sister Miry is Marryed & lives 9 miles from hear over near Loudon (in Loudon Co.) her husbands name is Vinnant they have 3 children I showed her your letter written to Henry James She said tell you all howdy for her Mother still lives with me She is able to go about & milk & cook & see to her house affairs Well uncle Jack Wheat lives in Texas & is well & well satisfied & says their is good crops where he lives I have not found out his P.O. yet Mr. James says they ar all well except his wife who has been down with the fever & Black Airesipilas though she is now mending slow I was their yesterday they said for me to write this letter & they would not write any now Write soon direct your letters to Grays hill Roane Co Tenn I will close yours __

                                                                       W.L. Doughty

[in same envelope]

Uncle Jim Wheats son William lives near Dido Tarrant Co Texas he married out thar his place of Marketting is Weatherford you might meet him thar some time his other[?] brothers talk of going out thar this fall uncle Jim Wheat went off some time during the War ar Just at the close of it & has not been heard of since this is now Aug the 6th Still hot & dry with no indications of Rane at al Write soon

                                                              yours truly
                                                            W.L. Doughty