Kinston, N C
November the 2 1864
My Dier wife and children
I seete my self this morning with A
Troub beled harte and a de strest
Mind to try to rite a few lines to
Let you no that I hierd my sentens
Red yesterday and hit was very Bad
I am very sory to let you no for
I that you [????] A great [??] of
Troub ble all read dy I hafte Bee Shot
The 9 of this month I am sory to in form
You that I have But 7 days to live But I
Hope and trust in god when tha have Slane
My Body that god will take my Sole
To reste whier I will meete my little
Babe that is gon Be fore my dier wife
I think I could die Better Sadesfide if
i could see you and the children one
more time on erth and talk with you
But my time is so short I donte exspect
to ever see you and my dier little children
eny more on erth tern over [turn the page]
[page 2]
I can in form you that I recieved
2 letters from you yesterday witch I
red with pleser witch giv me some
sadesfaction to hier tha you was all
well and doing well I recieved the
close that you sente to me By L t
Smith I exspect tha will Bee my Bearing
close I recieved A canteen of Brandy also
But I am in two much trubble to drink it
my Dier wife I wante you to come to see me
if you can git abner Brooks to come
with you if you can my days may
Bee per long my Dier wife if
I see you no more on erth donte
grieve for mee nether lamente
nor morne I hope I shal with
my gesus Bee while you air lefte
alone I pray that god will Bee
will you and helpe you rase your
children up in the noledge of the
truth and the lorde and savior
gesus christe
[page 3]
My Dier sister lorrey I wante you
to stay with Malinda and liv in pease and
harmony to gether and prepare to meete
me in heaven wher parting will Bee none
no more A woird to my children witch is
nier my harte in nature seeme to Binde
James I want you to Bee a good Boy and obey
your mother and keep out of Bad company
Bee good to the
you must Bee a smarte Boy and obey your
mother al so sissey you must be Bee A smarte little
girl and bee good to the Baby and call it Jobey
I hope that god will Bee with you all so far
well children you cante see you papy no more on erth
my Dier wife the time hase Ben sweat I have
spent with you But now I must depart
from you and never more return But let this not
griev your harte I pray that the lords will
Bee with you and helpe you out in all your troubles
and triles hier Be low so far well Dier wife
J. R. Redmond condemn to Die
[page 4]
I will drop A few lines to my dier
mother I no you air in a grate ele of troubble
and living a lonsom life I think I am in as
much trubble as eny Body in this world at
at this time I am sory to in form you that I am
in the dungin and condemn to Bee shot to deth
mother I hav thot oftime of your praying for mee
sence I have Ben in hier I have Ben in gaged
in seeking the lord dier mother donte grieve for
mee I hope we will all meete in heven so
farwell mother Brothers and Sister all
the tim is shor[t] that you have to live hier
on erth and I want you to be in gage in prair
while you air hier on erth and try to meete
in heven I pray that god will Bee with
you so far well Brothers and Sisters
J. R. Redmond ---
James medows and Ben felmoth is hier
doing duty tha hante Ben molested
malinda Jef Baley owes mee eighty dollars
git it if you can it may do you some good