Gregory1

Transcription: 

febury the 17 1862 Camp near Manassas Junction

Der Martha Take my pen in han to let you know That
I am Well At presant hope when you get this may find
you all Well I hav nuthing in teresting To rite to you
I think from your letter evry Thing was geting along
as well as I Cood exspeck I Was Sorry to her that your piggs
Was diing I Sent little Book home By Ben Clemance for
The Children you rote you dident want me to drink too
mutch I dont exspecks to drink too mutch while I stay her
I havent drinke two mutch But once sence I hav Bin her
That Was The Second day of Chrismus I like to got in A fite
the feler Struck me With tent pole Chris was holden me
And I Coodent get holt of him I cust him for evry thing
I cood Think of I never got past travlen The[y] never don
nuthing With me I Wood Whip him now if The law
want [1] so Tite you nedent Be on easy A Bout me I will do
The Best I Can you most do the Same The girls may look
out The Boys had A mity volerntine Drawing on the
foteenth febuary I think som of the Boys is geting
verry on easy fraid ther girls wont wat for them
The her of so mutch marring up thar The[y] [2] is a grat
menny Comen home on furlow I want to com two But
I Cant com yet But evry dog has his day I recon it will
Be my day After A while I most Com To close for it is
A Bout midnight iam verry droussy I remain fec [3] Hus
you most rite sune Miler must rite two
John B. Gregory To
Martha J Gregory and
dar Children
exscuse my bad spelling this you se remember me
Wharever I may Be

Bad Dicktater Slow Cribe [4]

[page 2]

febuary the 17 1862 Tention to orders hedquarters
Army of pertomack Second Co fifth brigade thirty eighth
regment Va volenters Camp near manassas junction in prince william county
John S Eanes Dear Sear I receive your kind letters was rote the 1 and 7
day of febuary I was glad to her That you All was well We All
Well At Presant time hope when you get these lines tha may find
you All Enjoyen the same good blesen havent no nuse to rite you more
more than the[y] is A great menney of our regment avolenteren for two years
longer offerces youseing All the influance the[y] Can to get thar men to
Jine [5] them I havnot Jind them yet nor I dont exspeck to Join be four
I Com home Buck Baget is makeing up cumpeny If I was to
Join I shood Join Baget If you se enney Boddy want to com to
this regment tel them That i Say tha most Com and Join Buck
he Is the Best in the regment we hav got the Best dril marster
That is in the regment leutenant Pritchard he ant trying
to get acompeny nor none of my mess havent Joind yet Tha say if we
dont we will Be Drafted Be fore our time is out But I dont
Think so it is Jest for A scear Evry compeny sends one Permishen
Oferser [6] one oncarmishen offerser [7] for recruteen offersers I was sorry
that We coodent do no Better When We Sent ours two
I Wood Be glad to Se Tom oaks Com if he is goin to fetch
my Box for We Paid one dollar and A half for one pint [of whiskey]
this morning We dont By much But we Bligte [8] to By sum
The[y] Ant ner so tite with ous as the[y] wor sum time ago
Sum Boddy Drunk nerly evry day dont do nuthing With um
Thout [9] tha fite them tha Will put them in the gardhous
tel tha get So Ber old capen gilburt is doun her doing All he [10]
Can to get us to volenter Agan he Think evry one orter stay
I orter rote yestday But I went hunten for sum rabbets I
did not find But one We had A fine snow Sataday It is
raining and frezeing to day We hav A great eale [11] of Bad wether
We will go on picket to morrow We will return Back fridy
We Ar Bilding A railroad from manassas to Sentersvill
A Bout Six mils tha [12] is A Bout Thirty Thousand solders
rted from this Army Absent Thout lef [13] Tom oaks is
[14] out lef I most com to A close remain as yous John B Gregory

Footnotes: 
  1. want = was not
  2. they = there (the existential or 'dummy' subject of the sentence)
  3. fec = affectionate
  4. Cribe = scribe. The letter is being dictated by Gregory and written down by a friend
  5. jine = join
  6. Permishen oferser = commissioned officer
  7. oncarmishen offerser = noncommissioned officer
  8. Bligte - obliged
  9. Thout = without, meaning unless
  10. written between lines: I want to kick ass
  11. great eal = great deal
  12. tha = there
  13. Thout lef = without leave
  14. damage in lower left corner
Date: 
February 17, 1862
Collection: 

Author(s)

Unit: 
Co. B, 38th Virginia Infantry
Residence (County): 
Pittsylvania County, VA

Recipient(s)

Residence (County): 
Pittsylvania County, VA
Residence (County): 
Pittsylvania County, VA

From

From State: 
Virginia
From Municipality: 
From County: 
Prince William

To

To County: 
Pittsylvania

Transcription/Proofing Info

Transcriber: 
Michael Ellis
Transcription Date: 
January, 2009

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