[Mary Bradshaw (b. ca. 1832) was the older sister of Jonas]
Oct 28th 1862

Camp near Charlestown
Dear Sistor Va
it is with the
gratest pleasure that I seat
my self on my broad stool
and grasp my pen in hand to
informe you that I am well
and harty at presant and I
hope these few lines may
finde you and all the rest
well and injoying the bless
ings of God Dear sistor you
dont now how glad I wer
to hear from you and to
hear that John had got home
I was uneasy a bout him
I would be glad to see him
Dear sistor I now you all
would be glad to se us
bouth at hom wonce more
but you aught to thank
[page 2]
God fur granting you the
the return of one brother
wonce more a live many
a pore sistor is deprived of
this blessing Sistor weap
not fur your absent brother
but pray fur him and if
you never see me on erth
a gane o pray that we may
me[et?] high up in heavin where
parting will be no more Dear
sistor I think of the pleasure
that I wonce saw with my
brothers and sistor at home
home sweet home I long
to be thare I will close
this letter by saying kiss
my sweet little babe fur
its Paw far well Sistor
Molley Bradshaw J. N. Bradshaw
hand this to Nancy
Dear Wife I am well and
fat at this time and I
[page 3]
hope these few lines may
finde you and your little
babe well and all the rest
well I reseved a letter by
hand of Lieutenant Patterson
the 24 of this inc [1] I was glad [
to hear from you we have 
had no fiting to do sence
I wrote last we have bin
changing from place to place
and tayring up the railroad
I think we are a about six
teen miles from harpers
fary I understand the yankees
are advancing tha are in leasburg
we heard to day we may fite
in a day ore so and we may
not fite this winter I
cant tell enything a bout
it Dear Wife you must content
your self and do the best
you can I hope the time
will come when you shall
[page 4]
see your Husban return home
a gane to his Dear wife I have
plenty of close to do me
we have draud our uniform
we was a bout out
I was barfooted and all
most out of pants and had
to by but now I have
plenty to do me I saw
William Lackey Normon Adams
and all the boyes the other
day thay are well tell Mary
howdy fur me tell Father
and Mother that I am well
and galey and would be glad
to see them give my love
and respects to all inquiring
friends tell John and Mary
to not hug to hard fur
I think he will git a discharge
when he comes back and then
he can have his time fur huging
so good by I hope to see
you a gane J. N. Bradshaw