LETTER

Philadelphia
April 14, 1866
Addressed to
George W. Lewis
Chester Valley
Penna. (no stamp available)

Separate note on yellow envelope addressed as above to George W. Lewis Huntsville Ind. 6 mos. 5th 61 ?????

Friend George:
It is with pleasure that I am once more enabled to sit in the old quaker City and drop you a few lines in answer to the letter I received of you a few days ago.

I arrived home safely last Monday night but I have had a very bad cold pretty much ever since I arrived and it makes me feel very disagreeable. We arrived in New York last Monday at 12 o’clock making the passage in 21 days. We came by the Way of Panama and very pleasant weather the entire passage. I took my folks all by surprise they had not heard from me for so long the(y) all thought I was dead. Cook and Allbsig (???) stayed in California all the rest came on. We all all _____ (deatesed??) amount???/out in New York and I have seen none of then (them?) since and, to tell the truth George there is some of them that I do not care about seeing again. We got our passage for 15 dollars but the living was ??? none / more of the best I can assure you but still it was better than we had ___ (aboard??) the Saranac the Worms ??? did not attempt to run away with it and we were of a delight with the idea?? of getting home and in to Circulation (?) once more that we did not mind it.

Well George I must now come to a close for the present I will enclose a 10 dollar bill in this letter in return for the one you lent me at Mare Island an(d) I must say I am very thankfull to for the kind favor you conferred upon me at that time and I hope I may be able to return it some day.

I hope you will answer this as soon as you get it so that I will know whether you seemed it is not ??? must _____ now close for the present. So hoping to hear from you rite away. I ?? shall remain your true friend.

JL Fox