Fort Smith Arks May 19th 1863

Mrs Prestridge

                                                           Yours of the second of the month came to hand day before yesterday & as Lieut W.B. Stuart of our company is going to start home today I have a chance to send word directly   in answer to the first part of your letter I will say that the officers sold everything but the horse & I sent him home a few day ago to the Old Lady Neal’s by J. L. Miller that lives close to Columbus   I will say in relation to the last part of your letter that your husband was buried in the graveyard at Van Buren in one of the best coffins that we could have made   it was rough but strong   there was very little Plank in the town for the feds had been there twice since & they cleaned up everything but I got anough for to make a good Strong Coffin   So you may rest easy about that for everything that could be done was done by Capt. Littlejohn & Myself,   I Send you by Lieut Stuart the Sum of two Hundred and Seventy dollars (270 50/100) and fifty cents which he will either take or Send you the first Chance   I also send you all the letters that was in your Husbands hands also one that came from the Rock since his death,   you will have to be particular with the horse for he is a sort of Contrary but after you get use to him he is a splendid horse   If he was fat I would give 300 dollars for him   I have heard of him spoken of as a good Farm horse but he is not a good riding horse by any means & not fit for a Lady to ride at all   but if you will put him out on the grass he will fatten for all he wants is rest and Something to eat for our horses are all starved tho they are all mending since we got to this place where we get grass   I would like to know when you go to sell the horse that is if you do sell him for I would like to buy him   I know how he stands the Service,   There is Some talk of our going to Louisiana   if it is so I will come by & See you as we go down but I am afraid it is not So   I have tried every way in My Power to get to go with the horse etc but could not   So you can see it is not my fault that the things are sold for I tried every way to keep them from selling them but they said you would have no use for them at home & they might do a Soldier some good for fear of wearing you I will close
Your friend etc