Robeson County NcArchives History - Letters .....Pvt. James E. Douglas, Co F, 51st NCT, To Mother July 17, 1862 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Tim Bradshaw timbradsjr@yahoo.com December 3, 2010, 7:47 am Letter written to Eleanor More Douglas Branch from James Ervin Douglas Smithville, NC July 17,1862 (This letter is very hastily and poorly written on very poor quality paper; the ink bleeds through to the other side and is very difficult to decipher.) Dear Mother I now seat myself to drop you a few lines to let you know that I have got here safe and am well at this time and hope that the few lines may come safe to your hand and find you in joy, in good health and I am in hopes that I shall hold my health and keep able to live/ I say to you that I have not much to write to at this time but this—I can see the yankees closer(?) here every day that come and also we can hear shooting in the sea nary every day too/ The was on day here that we saw the Block cage (Blockade?) a shootin but we could not see what they was shootin at/ I want you to write to me if you have heard from your old man since he left there and also I want you to write how Brother is a getting along/ I want go to give my best respects to Mr. Branch and also all my friends about there. I want you to write to me how Jesse (?) Maynor(?) is a getting along and tell him to write to me/ I was in hopes I would get clear(?) but I don’t know as I will for I don’t (think) they will come (the writing is illegible at this point; it doesn’t seem to contain important info, but he closes with:) my paper is bad so I (close?)/ Your true son till death. Ervin Douglas Direct your letters to Smithville, NC Additional Comments: Posted with permission of and thanks to Steve Edgerton, from his website: http://www.capefearclans.com/CivilWarLetters.html File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/robeson/history/letters/pvtjames35ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ncfiles/ File size: 2.2 Kb