[his father, William Griffin as a widower. The household in 1860 included three adult daughters and his son James]

August 3 1861
head quarters
Midle mountain
Camp Lee pokerhunters [1]
Dear father I have
Jest received your
leter dated July 23
I was the hapies man to
her from you I thort
you had for goten
us but you have not
father wee have march
day and knight to git
to this mountain for it
is the line that old
Lincol has give his men
and the yankies is coming
on they ar in twelve
mils of our camp
[page 2]
the pickets gose in hering
of ther Drums they come
alitle peace and they stop
and fortifie ther is about
3 hundred men ar on
picket to knight our
cornel lee dont
sleep nite or day he
is looking for the enemy
wee ar expect to be
arouse in the morning I
Jest at the dawn of day
they take sunday to fite
ther is 10,000 men we
have onley 2,000 and
thar is 2,000 behind
us but they wont
come yet awhile
we are sente in her
[page 3]
wehar in whar the
old younion men ar
and we are in a bad
fixt her but we are
boun to obey our offices
and iam agoing to do hit
father James ses he
wont wright to you
yet Mr Walker is not
with us know but he
will as soon as he can see
him he will wright to you
I must quit for it is
geting dark excuse my
bad writing for I cant
do eny thang for
all I crave is to fite
the yankes an come home
to see some mor pleasue
[page 4]
with you one mor time
all I crave is to see you a
an famly tell litle
walk to be a good boy
tell him that if I never
see him eny more I want
you and his par an mar
to rase him to fite for
his country and all the
rest of the grand children
so good by father
L W Griffin
[page 5]
give my love to all
the girls tell them
I am coming back to see
them I am agoing to
ketch one when I
git back in old rutherford
if I was thar to day
I wood take Jo and
go to see miss J C
tell miss mina hody
for me I wood be
of the hapies men in
the worl sisters
I must quit for
so good by dear sisters
if I live I will wright
to you agin tell gorge
to wright to me
[page 6]
I wod like to know
how much wheat
you maid and how the
corn looks and how
meny pidges you have
got pleas wright all
the news to us
so good by Dearest
sisters L W Griffo<?>
August 4 1861
Mat and Nancy I want
to know if you got
your year bobs and
brest pin I
I sent them by
Mr. John Carpenter
to you
[page 7]
a few lins to my dear
sisters and brothers
Dear sisters we ar all
ar well except head
ach for we had no cofea
for breakfas
sisters I if I must
tell you I have no of writing to you
agin for ther is no dout
but what this
mountain will be
raped in flames
of fier in the morning
thar is no dout of it
we are all reddy for the
batle for we have
been pooled and hald
so that we dont see
[page 8]
sisters I want you
to not greave after
us for it Cases us to
not be satifide and
got to places and meeting
and injoying your self
the best that you can
and take cear of your
self if wee live
we ar coming home
to the spring
tho we ar along wase
from you we ar about
9,00 from you all
we ar in the land
whar the snow
birds ar araising ther
young thar is no corn
[??] hodgs her it is
strang [???]
[page 9]
ple Mints
I c w send ther
best respect to you
all & they ar all
well and ar redy
for the yanks
sisters I must
come to a close
for it is so dark
I cant see the
lins you
it is all falts
about the 6 redgm[??]
being taken prisner
for when this reddg is
taken thar will
be they will have
somthing to [?]o
father old lincol had
said that he will m[?]k
[page 10]
peace if Jef Davis
will pay the Expence
of the war but he aint
going to do hit

Sunday morning
dear sister her is one
mor knight past over
the yankes is afraid to
come last Knite we are
looking for them every
hour when they will
come they are wating
to git mor men
sisters I must quit for
I can wright a weeak
when I can git time I will
sende you a book of
our travels and
our trials
you must direct your
leters to Campe Lee
6 ridgment Nc volenters
pokershunters County