Civil War Letter Civilian Family Talking of Arsenic Poisoning of Friends 1862?

Condition as seen. Dec. 21st Dear Nephew and Niece and little __ fellows, I take my pen to try to write a few lines to you and answer to your request in your letter to us. We would right sooner, but ____ was going to start out so soon. I thought we would wait a while. They started the third and we have not heard from them yet. When they went away, I was not well and was sick so that I had hard work to get around and get them something to eat. Uncle Reuel has not been very well but is able to work. Grandfather is getting better all the time. Clara is all well. One there is among us. She and Lena have a good time playing your paws folks are well. Uncle Dyke has gone after Ruben. He is at New Albany. The friends are all well as far as I know there is no one sick that I know of but old Mrs. Pruitt. Your pie will write when Gets home with Ruben I think. We got a letter from Dickens last night. They have got well again but see hard times all being sick so long. Corn is worth $.15 out there. Uncle is writing to uncle John in Ohio so that he will not be able to write any in this. We got a letter from Ohio last week. They was all well up there. Family all about one got poisoned two weeks ago. They lent Mrs. Farwood some soda. She sent some home and they put some in a corn dodger and all but one boy. Was taken sick and vomited all night and in the morning sent for the doctor. He said there was arsenic. Enough to kill a host of people. It was the big dose that they got, a lot of people saved. They think it will go hard with them. Steve went to see them. He says the old man is all blowed up and looks awful bad. He sits and cries about it. There was five turkeys went and eat the vomit. And killed them, and one or two cats and dogs. One woman made a cake and gave it to her dog. It died in five minutes and Paul took the soda and three of the turkeys gizzards and went to Cincinnati to see what boss thought of them. We have not heard the result yet. That is all the news that I think of now. Clara was well pleased with her Card and will send some thing if she can find anything to the boys. She wants to see them now. John, if you have seen or heard anything from ___ . Please write to us soon for we want to know if they ever got out there or not. They said they would write as soon as they got out there but we have got no letter yet and do not know what to think. Please write often to us. Our love to you all and the children. Good-bye. From, Uncle and Aunt to J.C. Aldrick