Corpus of American Civil War Letters

Corpus of American Civil War Letters John B. Gregory

Source: Letter of John B. Gregory, CACWL Collection

John B. Gregory (b. ca. 1830) was a farmer from Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He enlisted in Co. B, 38th Virginia Inf. on July 10, 1861 and was killed at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. The letter may have been written for Gregory (see last line of page 10).

Transcribed by Michael Ellis, January 2009

John B. Gregory to to his wife, Martha J. Gregory and John Eanes febury the 17 1862 Camp near Manassas Junction

Der Martha Take my pen in han to let you know That I am Well At presant hope when you get this may find you all Well I hav nuthing in teresting To rite to you I think from your letter evry Thing was geting along as well as I Cood exspeck I Was Sorry to her that your piggs Was diing I Sent little Book home By Ben Clemance for The Children you rote you dident want me to drink too mutch I dont exspecks to drink too mutch while I stay her I havent drinke two mutch But once sence I hav Bin her That Was The Second day of Chrismus I like to got in A fite the feler Struck me With tent pole Chris was holden me And I Coodent get holt of him I cust him for evry thing I cood Think of I never got past travlen The never don nuthing With me I Wood Whip him now if The law want so Tite you nedent Be on easy A Bout me I will do [want = weren’t] The Best I Can you most do the Same The girls may look out The Boys had A mity volerntine Drawing on the foteenth febuary I think som of the Boys is geting verry on easy fraid ther girls wont wat for them The her of so mutch marring up thar The is a grat menny Comen home on furlow I want to com two But I Cant com yet But evry dog has his day I recon it will Be my day After A while I most Com To close for it is A Bout midnight iam verry droussy I remain fec Hus you most rite sune Miler must rite two John B. Gregory To Martha J Gregory and dar Children exscuse my bad spelling this you se remember me Wharever I may Be Bad Dicktater Slow Cribe [scribe]

[page 2] febuary the 17 1862 Tention to orders hedquarters Army of pertomack Second Co fifth brigade thirty eighth regment Va volenters Camp near manassas junction in prince william county John S Eanes Dear Sear I receive your kind letters was rote the 1 and 7 day of febuary I was glad to her That you All was well We All Well At Presant time hope when you get these lines tha may find you All Enjoyen the same good blesen havent no nuse to rite you more more than the[y] is A great menney of our regment avolenteren for two years longer offerces youseing All the influance the[y] Can to get thar men to Jine them I havnot Jind them yet nor I dont exspeck to Join be four I Com home Buck Baget is makeing up cumpeny If I was to Join I shood Join Baget If you se enney Boddy want to com to this regment tel them That i Say tha most Com and Join Buck he Is the Best in the regment we hav got the Best dril marster That is in the regment leutenant Pritchard he ant trying to get acompeny nor none of my mess havent Joind yet Tha say if we dont we will Be Drafted Be fore our time is out But I dont Think so it is Jest for A scear Evry compeny sends one Permishen [Permishen = oferser one oncarmishen offerser for recruteen offersers I was sorry commissioned] that We coodent do no Better When We Sent ours two I Wood Be glad to Se Tom oaks Com if he is goin to fetch my Box for We Paid one dollar and A half for one pint this morning We dont By much But we Bligte to By sum [Bligte = obliged] The Ant ner so tite with ous as the wor sum time ago Sum Boddy Drunk nerly evry day dont do nuthing With um Thout tha fite them tha Will put them in the gardhous [Thout = without, unless] tel tha get So Ber old capen gilburt is doun her doing All he [written between lines] I want to kick ass Can to get us to volenter Agan he Think evry one orter stay I orter rote yestday But I went hunten for sum rabbets I did not find But one We had A fine snow Sataday It is raining and frezeing to day We hav A great eale of Bad wether We will go on picket to morrow We will return Back fridy We Ar Bilding A railroad from manassas to Sentersvill A Bout Six mils tha is A Bout Thirty Thousand solders rted from this Army Absent Thout lef Tom oaks is [damage in out lef I most com to A close remain as yous John B Gregory lower left to John S Eanes corner]