Alex hopes his mother is still on his side of a dispute, and believes it is no-one's business except his family's and Maddie's. He also mentions "Harry's" job at the Treasury in Washington, and potentially purchasing a house from "Mr. Middleton".
In this portion of a letter, Willis writes of a man [deserter, runaway slave?] who returned to the Regiment; that he is almost three months behind in pay; he has captured some "silver Yankee sugar tongs"