This letter is addressed to George Dute, Plato, Lorain Co., O.
It seems to have been sent from Cannonsburg, Hancock County,
Ohio, on Jan. 17, 1854. There is in fact a Cannonsburg there, in
Union Twp.
    It goes:

        Jener (?) Den 13 1854
        January   the 13 1854

            Werter bruder Dute friede
            Worthy brother Dute peace

        Sei mit Deir und Den lieben Deinen
        be  with you and your loved ones

    Hinmit Will Jch dich berichten Von Den
    Herewith I want to report to you about

    Schaffen
    the sheep

        Ein bruder Will,   Ein Mutter Schaf und
        One brother wants  one ewe          and

    Mutter           lamm Und Ein Mutter Schaf und bock lamm
    mother (female?) lamb and one ewe          and male lamb

    Ein anderer bruder Will Ein Mutter Schaf und
    Another     brother wants a ewe          and

    bock lamm Jch Will Ein Jaehrich  Mutter Schaf
    male lamb I   want a year-old    ewe

    Also      7 Stuek
    Therefore 7 things

            lieber bruder Sei so gut und
            dear   brother be so good and

    Sehn nach ob Wier Ein Haben Koennen und
    see       if we can have one        and

    an Welcher Preis. bis den 4ten Martz komme Jch
    at what    price. By  the 4th of March I will come

    Wieder zu Euch Dann Kanst Du mich (?) Wissen
    again to you   then you can let me know.

    lassen. Wier Wollen Von Den besten Haben
            We   want       the best to have

        Jch Verbleibe Dein in liebe
        Yours truly

      G Dute                    H Longbrecht

      P. S. Wen ich (?) Sein (?) Kan so Wuensche Jch auszufinden
            If  possible             then I want     to find out

    Von Den Scaffen Wan Jch Dass Naechte (?)
    about the sheep         the  next

        mal kome
        time I come

    I can't find anyone named Longbrecht in Hancock County then,
but there are some people named Longbrake, including a Hiram
Longbrake in 1880.
    Dad got Werner Ebertus to help some with the translation of
this letter. "Vern" was the father-in-law of Faye's niece Gina.
He was an interesting guy. Born in Germany (Thuringia, I think,
not too far from Hesse), he was a young officer on the Bismarck
in WW II. He was transferred off the ship by an older officer who
needed him to travel around with him and take down what he said
whenever he gave a talk. After the war he came to America and
started a produce business. When we told him about the Dute
family being from Rotenburg, he said "They came from France,
didn't they?" He knew that because he knew the history of that
part of Germany.