[draft] The very sincere or tender affection that I entertain for you my dear sister induce me to write you at this time, notwithstanding the great neglect with which [inserted: I think] I have been treated both by you - and my dear Mama - to her, I wrote several times during the siege of Boston - but never obtained a line in answer a circumstance that supprised and grieved me not a little - where she is now I know not - I am not only deprived of father mother Brother & Sisters but also denied the satisfaction of hearing of their wellfare. you I am told are at Halifax - if you are it is propable this may reach you - and if it should I beg of you - to give me a particular account of my friends and relations - is your little Boy - living - is he well - [struck: where is my Brother] [inserted: is Capt Urqurt [sic] with you)] when did you hear from him [inserted: my Brother] - is Sally married or not - [inserted: where is she.] I much wish to know all these particulars for my father and mother I [struck: love with] [inserted: entertain] the most Dutiful [struck: and tender] affection - and [struck: with] [inserted: in] fraternal [struck: love [& am not behind hand - therefore am greatly interested in the above particular [inserted: the answer to the above Querys] - my dear Harry is well - he my [struck: dear] sister is as when you [seen] him, the best and tenderest [inserted: of] friends, never were - two persons more happily united than we - we have a lively little girl, of whom I fear [&] [inserted: we] [are two] [strikeout] [struck: she is very like her [gran mama] - she looks vastly like [inserted: our] Mama - who I hope will one day see her - she will love her I am sure she will. I am going at last to take the small pox - more for the sake of my little Lucy - than myself - the Army and the country in general having been innoculated will make it dangerous for me to go from home without haveing had it - and in the present state of things I wish to be in such a situation - that I can go to all parts of America without danger - my Harry is not much home - and [2] I do not like to from him - [if] my sister, how horrid is this war, Brother against Brother - and the parent against the child - who were the first promoters of it I know not but god knows - and I fear they will feel the weight of his vengeance - tis pity the little [struck: while] [inserted: time] we have to spend in this world - we cannot [strikeout] enjoy ourselves and our friends - but must be devising means to destroy each other - the art of killing has become a perfect science - that man is most [esteemed] who has the best knack, at destroying the human species - in our juvenile days my Hannah we little thought - this Barbaras art would so soon have reached America - but [inserted: alas] her fruitfull fields [struck: have become the scene] of war [struck: and destruction] [struck: Battles rapes] been covered with the dead and dying] [inserted: of the heartfelt] - the grief their sister and brothers [inserted: must have] suffered} [struck: can never be told] but enough of this god send a speedy issue to this war and give us a happy meeting is the sincere wish and prayer of her who [thro] all the [illegible illegible] scenes of life never will cease to be your affectionate friend and sister LK seige Seaige Seige