[Ray served as a sergeant in Co. L, 21st NC Inf.]

Va
Camp red Manasas Junction
Aug 11 1861
Mr Richard Amos Esq I seat my self
this morning with the plesure of Dropin
you afew lines to inform you that I
am well at present an hope when
this few lines comes to hand they may
find you all injoyun the same blessin
I hav nothen important to writ to you this
morning Mr amus tell henry I wont him
to right to me I wrote to him from Danvill
an hav not got my anser yet they is
agreat eal of sickness here at this plase
som with the feaver an meazels for the
last thre Days an they has three or four
of the men in this regiment Dead but
nyre won out of our company but they
is som of them very sick I sed we
had lost nyre won our of our company
tho they has severl of them gorn to the
horse pittle william roberts for won from
our nabourhood an I Dont no whether
they ar all alive or no our captn [1] has 
bin sick som time he left there last
friday to go to Richmond horse pittle an
we hav not herd from him yet his brother
Andne [2] has taken plase as captin untel
[page 2]
he returns they is not much
likehood of getin another fight here
for I think we hav scerd the yankeys
so bad they well not com back here
they is around this plase about one
hundred an sixty thousand soldiers here
we hav not received no pay for our
labour yet an I Dont think we will
[entire line marked through]
tho it ant the money that we ar
after it is the yankeys that we want
an if thy dont mind we will hav
them all yet they is not much
amaken around here fre [3] the coren fields
is turnd out sed an they make yous
of the fense rails for fire wod tho
I hope you all will make anuf there
to make up for all that is lost
here the is atalk of Va not finden [4]
us no longer thn the 20 of Aug an if
that bee so we well return to NC
wonst more but if we Do it will
bee as fer from home as ever I recon
I recon the yong lades thinks we Dont
hav no preachen hre but we hav preachen
here evry sunday an prare at eavning
after Dress perade be fr we leave the
field James fair sends his love an best
respect to you all
[page 3]
I want you to give all of my
in[??]iren frend my love an best respect
I wold have rot to you sooner but I cold
not get paper an ink I wold like to sea
you all at this time Mr amus I want
you to write to me as soon as you get
this an direct you leter to this plase
I must bring thes few lines to a close
so nothen more at present but
remaining yours frend untel death
P Ray to
Mr Richard amus Esq
dir direct you leter in the care
of Capt Boyd 11 regment [5]
of N C volunteers