January the 20 1865
Camp Near Carolina
Citty
Dear Fother
I take my seat
this delightful day to rite you
a few lines to let you hear
from me Through the goodness
and mercies of kind providence
I hav bin yet spared upon
the land a mung the living
and injoying good health at
this present time I hope that
when thase few lines reches
you it may finds you injoying
the Same good besing I wold
bee glad to hear from you
one more time I hope I
Shal live to See you all
Again farther I Sent you
Sixty dollars by rafe s
I want you to wright to mee
whether you got it or not
I Sent you 5 dolars in Silver
[page 2]
by the Same man I want you
to rite mee all the nuse I
am A giting A plenty to
eat an to war an I am A
fairing vary well I drill onse
twice A day an stan garde one
time A week give my cister
and ant marthey and Seley
an frank and josph an to
unkel james and poley and
all the girls and all thee
inqurng friends I want you
to wright if my yarling
is A living yet I want
you to treat him well
Dear farther I want you to
dou the best you Can my
time will bee up the 10
of augus I dont no
wother I Shall cum bee
fore or not but I am A
going to try to come
Sooner if I can
[page 3 – the rest of the letter appears to be in a different hand]
Dear Sister Wineford I will say
a few words to you before
I close my letter I rmember
my love to you espshley
Also I now remember my
to all the prety girls
and espeshley Miss
Lucia A Simons Tel them
that I want to see them
the worst in the world
I must soon cum to a
close by saying no more
at this time May the
lord bless you all Keepe
and psurve you throught
all the evils of this
wicked world is the best
wishes of my hart So
good By for this time
Yours truly until deth

James R Cowand
To his Fother Sarkey Cowand
[page 4]
Direct your Letter
To James .R. Cowand
2 Regt .N.C. Unioun
vols Beaufort NC in
car of Wm A More