State of N Carolina Chatham conty

June the 24th 1863
Mr Z V Vanc govner of NC
Dear freind I am unaquiated with you but I [??]
[??] you as a friend I tak this opportunity
to write you afew lines to let you
know what has occured in our pa[r]t of
the Country recentely I am an acting Justic
of the peace for th County of Chatham
an living in the South west corner of Said
Conty near Moore and Randolph Countys
whar ther is a grate many linconits
deserters an Conscripts but my moteif is
in form you what took plas recently the
Militia was orderd by you or som other
person to serch fore those outlyers they
went on one night an came a cros sume four
or five conscripts the say thy holted them they
run some of them shot and kild one of them
a young man by th name of Phillip the parents
of this young man came to mee for a warint to
arrest thos men Who was a hunting that nigh[t]
for killing their son and I do not feele like to
giving them warent they say they will report
to yo if do not give them awarnt to arrest
them an have the[m] put in Jale fur triel
and now I want you to write to me what I must
do shortly to appease those persons fer they are after
me to arrest them they thraten me very much I told
them that I would writ to you and wha[t]evar
you sed do I would as to the Charectters of those
that was a hunting that night is good they are
good loyel sitesons to their Contry
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as to Clarrecto of the yong man
that was kild the is [??] not
they stat belaid to his Charge one is
that he has disobeyed the laws of this
Contry in lying out another is that he
was fond in bad an verry bad compny at theat
for they out liers has don a greadeal
of Mishciefs in that secsion of County
in Stealing burng barns hiding tools
an so on but I want yo to writ to me soon
a fewlines and lit me know what I must do
but I do not feele like arresting good
sitisen fore eny thing they do to thease out
lyers who are doing all the Mischief
they can as to the Farthe of this yong man
he is a reel Linconite in [????] his boys
and others to ly out and is accusd of
harboring them and if I wer to arrest I
Should b cald a Lincconite and a tory
by all good sitisons of my own of cunty
and I had rather Suffer a most any thing
than to be Cald a tory or a Linconite
and so I must [?????] by giving my best respects
to you as a friend so no more at presant
direct your letter to Fall Creek Post offs
Chatham County
Chesley Jones JP [Justice of the Peace]