November the 5 1862

govner vance
i set down to
rite you a few lines
and hope and pray
to god that you wil
oblige me i ame
a pore woman with
a pasel of litle
children and i wil
hav to starv or go
neked me and my
litle children ef my
husban is kepd way
from home much
longer and i ask
you to let him
come home and burn
cole for the stat [1]
dont want him to
come and do nothen
for the [??]
but he can see to
his famely and burn
cole and i beg you
[page 2]
to let hime come
tha dont giv me
but thre dolars a
month and fore
of us in famely
and i cant cloth
my children i hav
knit 40 pare of
socks fo the solgers
and it take all
i earn to get
bread and i beg you
in the name of the
lord to let him come
my sister en law is
nearly as bad of as
i ame and she wants
[??][??] ef you can
spare him i hope tha
can [??] the state as
wel a burning cole as
tha can thear ef you
cud hear the crys of
my litle children
[page 3]
i think you wod
fell for us i ame
pore in this world
but i trust rich
in heven i trust
in god for my
help and hope
he wil cos you
to hav compashin
for the pore
rote by
James A Bolton wife

he is at wilmington
generl
young Bartalon [2]
company A
Capt Lewes [3]

Joab Bolton [4] is
my sisteren law
husban name he
is at the same
place
[page 4]
i umble beg the
in the name of
ouer father in
heven to send
ing husban home
and i hope
the lord wil
reward you
ef not in this
world in heven
is my prayer
nite and morning
hear the cryes
if the pore i
beg you

Lydia A
Bolton to
the govner of
North Carolina