John B. Gregory (b. ca. 1830) was a farmer from Pittsylvania County, Virginia. At the time of the 1860 Census he resided on his farm with his wife, Martha (b. ca. 1833), and their four young children (ages 1-5). J. B. Gregory enlisted in Co. B, 38th Virginia Infantry (the “Pittsylvania Regiment”) on July 10, 1861 and was killed at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, when his regiment took part in the assault on Cemetery Ridge. During the battle more than half of the 400 men of the 38th Virginia were killed, wounded, or captured. The letter appears to have been written for Gregory (see last line of page 10). John Eanes was the Gregorys’ next door neighbor in the Swansonville neighborhood of Pittsylvania County.