Lachen, July 16, 1866 My dear ones!
 Yesterday we received your letter of June 20th and from it we saw your distress because we have not written for so long. My dear ones, we answered all of your so valued letters, but sent all but one of them via Bremen, which no longer worked, however, because of the wartime. My dear ones, if you receive my letters you will see from them that I have made up my mind to travel to you. You will find out from one letter that I was going to leave Germany soon, but that didn’t happen. That is to say, they [said?] that everyone from 18 to 40 years old was conscripted into the soldier’s life, which did not please me. I realized later, though, that this cannot be. My dear ones, we are very much affected by war. However, thus far have not seen any military and haven’t had any oppression from them yet. People are howling, though, that we're not assured of safety for a single day: Namely because the Prussians are continually advancing and already have some things. I’m sure you have already read in newspapers, and have already heard a lot about destruction in Bavaria and Hesse. Half of Aschafenburg has been burned by Prussia. [page 2:] But if there is any danger, my dear ones, then I am going to come to you soon, something we do not want to hope [i.e., we are hoping to avoid]. A great many young people have already departed from here, which you will also see: Those who have left Lachen are: Abraham & Heinrich Freundlich & Leopold Mayer & many Geisten [from the Geist family?]. Even if there isn’t any outright danger, I am still going to travel to you in August or September since business here with us is very bad and most of the time I just stroll around. Dear Heinrich, in your letter I saw that business where you are is also not that great. Saw, however, from your letter previous letter which you sent with Mr. Adler that you have fine earnings month after month. Even if Emanual is not doing good business in the summer, hopefully he will do better by winter. Also I saw from dear sister Karolina’s letter that she was going to brother Emanual’s, which made us very happy. I thought, however, my dears, when the messenger gave me Emanual’s letter, this is a letter with which I can congratulate our dear sister, but again there was nothing. From it, though, I see since there’s no more war where you are, that I can come to her wedding. [page 3:] Now my dears, I want to end my letter in the hope that you will receive our letters so that you will not be distressed any more and, what I wrote will soon be fulfilled and the war that is hanging over Germany will come to an end. So that everyone can again peacefully and contentedly rest under his grape vines or fig tree. My dear ones, if war should be our fate, then these are hard times for us, since this is a European war. My dear ones, I sent this and the previously sent letter to you without a stamp [i.e., not prepaid?] because people [say?] they go with more certainty than they would if stamped. So please excuse us for that. My dears, we all enjoy the best of health, which hopefully is not absent among you. Now I greet you and kiss you all many thousands of times, and greet all good acquaintances and friends for me. The one who wishes this is your eternally loving brother until death. Karl Maier [different handwriting] Much loved siblings,
I also cannot refrain from assuring you of my own well-being and that of all of us. So I give you, and also our uncles and aunts, my cordial greetings and remain your sister Babetta Mayer [page 4:] Dear Heinrich, you also write us that
Meier from Billigheim assured you about something, but this is so-called [“chalem”?= nonsense ?], and I assure you that there is nothing to it. Dear Heinrich, also write me about traveling to America. The one who writes this is your very loving brother until death. Karl Mayer Dear Emanual & Rosa, I see that you and your dear son will soon visit us and kiss dear little Heinrich for me. K.M.