Orange County N C
May the 6th 1863
Mr Vance Dear sir I will
write you afew lines to inform
you of my condition I am most
out of provisions and I have got
no way to get any thing to go upon
and I have got three children and
the oldest one is not five years old
tell August and I cant get that
what the county allows me tell the
13th of July and when I get that
it wont Be only$22.50 and it
would take it all to By one
Barrel of Corn if I had the money
now and if you dont provide me
with Some means to get support
I am Bound to Suffer my
husband is in the army and has
Bin for some time I live in Capt
William Petty district in the
46th Regt. of N.C. Malisia and
Mr Danial Atwater is the
man that is appointed to pay
over what the county allows
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to Soldiers wives and he wont
pay over only every three months
and what I do get and what
little I can make will not keep
me and my children from suffer-
ing and I did not know where
else to apply for help

From Martha A Allen
to Govener Vance