Sept the 8, 1883 Bartlesville IT (Indian Territory)
Dear uncle and aunt
it is with a sad heart that I write you a few lines this morning - it is so hard to tell you that my father is dead - he got shot the last day of August - we dont know how it was done - some thinks it was an accident and some thinks that somebody done it - the boys was across the river about two miles from home on the other lease - he had taken a hay - he said that morning he would go over and see how the boys were getting along and took his gun along and said he would try to kill a turkey - he had got in about fifty yards of the boys and got off of his horse to lay down the fence - he had got the fence down when the fatal shot was fired shooting him right through the heart - he hollered oh me and fell to the ground - when the boys got to him he could not speak and he died in about ten minutes - when his gun was found both locks was up and only one load in (paper torn) and he had had shot one load out before he got there - we dont know whether he loaded again or not - the marshals were after some men at that time and some thinks it was somebody that was hiding from justice and he run on to them and they shot him - the grass is very tall there and it is mashed down in three places like somebody had laid there - the bullet has went through both sides of his left sleeve and right through his heart - we don't know how it was done but it has left us in a sad state but Jim and George will keep us all together - we want you to write as soon as you get this.
Mary E. Wilcox
We will send you a lock of his hair and a piece of his shirt he was buried in.
Dear Sister
it is with a sad and broken heart I rite to you - it was is so hard to give my poor Dear husband up - I loved so dear - he was so good to me and so much comfort to me now I have no one to comfort me - oh Dear Sister this is the worst trouble I ever had - if I could have spoke one word to him and if I only knoed how he it was done but God only noes - Dear Sister rite to me and come to see me if you can - I am so broken harted I can not rite - my Dear one is gone and I cant be comforted
this from your lonsom sister
Sarah Wilcox
