[According to the 1860 Census, Black was born ca. 1792]

Madison March 3 ‘63
Mr Govner Vance
Our Pore clas of men are all gorn to
the Ware ti fighte to Save our countrey
& the Rich mans ne groes & land &
they are all at home Speck er latinge [1]
Rasen the prices of corn flower larde
& bacon they has Baughte upe all of
the to baco in the coun trey & has now
com menste on the bacon & larde corn
is now worth from 25 to 30 dolars per
Barrel & bacon & larde 75 to one do
lar per lb ande if ite wante for the
spect er laters ite woode note be worth
more then 40 to 50 cts & how are the
soal gers Wives & chil dren to live ate
such prices & cloath them at the high
price of coten yarn & cloth
if Our big lande oners & slave hol ders
ante stopt from ma ken from such
large crops of to baco our countrey
will Per rish oute in a nother year &
Whipt oute for the wante of Breade & meate
We neade corn here now bade ley &
the gover mente a gentes wonte lete
no corn bee shipt to us from goles borough
to greens borough for us if a man goes
& byes a few bushel for his nabers &
self they stop ete & wonte lete ite come
through to greens Borough
ma ken so much to baco & speck er lating
must bee stopt in ver gina & north car
lina our coun trey will bee ruende & over
Run P Black
[page 2]
this is bade ley ritten & Bade ley
worde ede But try & gete the longe of
ite & the rite meanen of it you will
finde a heape of goode sence in it
& if ma ken so much to baco & spek er la
la tion ante stopt & more corn & meate
rase we are a ruende sete of Peopel
& if corn & meate coten & cloth goes upe
the nexte too years like the too last
years there is no noen where it will
stopt & there is a greate maney men
thate has gote corn bacon & flow er to sel
Refuses to take con fe der ate money &
When thate is the case ite aughte to bee
ta kende a way from them & giv to the
sol drers Wives & children or take thate
kinde of money for thate is all the kinde
thate ther hus bern getes to sende home
to them to By things with
i code say a great eal more bute i
no thate you no ete your self Bute you
donte no as much a boute the Bige crops
of to Baco they are try en to make & no
corn & porke tri en to Rase & big speck
er lations go en on & no atten tion to the
ware how ite is go en on
you muste have this mean en attende
ede to P Black