Camp Near James River July 16, 1862

 

Dear Parents Brothers and sisters it is with the graitest of plesure that I take my pen in hand to inform you that I are well and hope when you read this it will find you all the same. I reseived your kind and welcom letter and was so glad to hear from you and to hear that you was all well but I was sory to hear that Jacob was coming back for i are a fraid he cant stand it hear now for it is getting pretty warm hear now but i stand it furst rait. how is is thare Mother you spoke about Jacob coming back again but you did nott say whare he is nor how he is a getting a long. a change mother we have gott our pay we gott it the 12 and i lett the capting have have twenty one dolars to send by express and i think you can go and gett it as soon as you gett this letter and i think that we will gett the other two monts pay next week and then i will send you sommore you can do what you are a mindto with it you can pay it on the land if you are a mindto. a change you said if Jacob had not gott back to the compney you wanted me to tell you he has nott yett nor i hant had a letter from him in a bout five weeks and this is the furst time i have hurd from him. a change a axedant happend on the James river our mail boat gott on a sand bar / and it was cuite a while bufore she could gett off and just as she gott off a geriley battrey of the rebbs opened up on it before it gott under head way putting fifteen balls in it before our gun boats gott with in shelling distance but the rebbs did nott do as they carculated thay carculated on disabling hur and capturing the mail and maccleans dispatches but thay was nott smart enough to do do that. and the day before yesterday thay tried one of our transports by runing a gun up on the bank thay fired one shott at hur but thare happened to be two of them black gunboats that nocked thare battrey to the devil so old general macgrubor is coming to try it that is what we want if he comes with the hole rebble forces we wil lick the old harey out of him for we are half sorounded by watter and if he comes he has gotto come write up in front of our foorts and rifle pits whare we can pile them up as fast as thay are a mind to come up this is all for this time so i will close by saying i hope these few lines will find you all well so good by from your son

Thomas A Jones yours truley write often 

 

[envelope]

 

Soldiers Letter

G. W. Johnson

            Major

                        49^th N.Y.V.

 

Miss Kiziah E. Jones

            Northvill

                        Erie

                                    Co

                                    PA

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