Wilmington N. C.
June the 9 1862

Dear Mother I seat my self to in form you that I am well and I hope that thoes lines may find you and all the rest well I received your letter which give me grate satisfaction to here from you all and to here that you was all well and was don planting I want you to Rite to me and Rite when the wheat will be ripe and I will try to come home if I can but I cant promis you for I cant tell you where I can or not I will do my best to come you must do the best you can if I do not get off
I herd two sermons to day one text was in Phillipens the second chapter and apart of the 12 and 13 verses and the other semon Beeth the second chapter and the 11 & 12 verses I like to here them they was the first preachen that I have herd since I have bin in camp one of the ____ is in our battalion we will git to here Preachin most any time we stay at a breast works it is about six mile longe and they is a gun they _eary 32 pounders we have got lances they are about seven feet loung and got a lance in the the end of them about 14 inches long we have drill with the lances some we dont no when we will fight as soon or not we git a plenty to eat you musent think hard of me for Riting to you that I didnt have no friends you are the best friend that I have got I want you to Rite to me as often as you can and I will Rite to you as oftin as I can tell Henry that I was glad to think that he thaut enuf of me to Rite to me I would be at home but I dont want to whip him I want you all to Rite to me as oftin as you can I enjoy my self as well as I think I should we shall git our close in a few days we have got our pay ______ made out we dont now when we will get our money I sent you 20 dollars by John W. Griffin you never sed any thing a bout it in your letter I want you to Rite to me whether you got it or not you need not send me no close till I send you word my close is good yeat when you git this letter I want you to Rite to me and Rite what Jackson? is a doing and Rite to me what what Becky James is a doing I here that she had here leg broke I want you to Rite to me and Rite all of this and tell all of my friends to Rite to me I want you Rite when the when the wheat will be ripe and then I will now when to come home if I can come So I will close today I am your affetanat son untill Death
Rite soon Rite Soon Rite soon

J G Thomas to
Elizabeth B. Thomas

John W. Griffin Sergeant, Co. C, 10th Batt. "Union Heavy Artillery". Enlisted in Union County at age 23 on 17 Apr 1862. Serving for the duration, he was paroled in Charlotte NC in 1865.

Henry D. Woodward Private, Co. C. 10th Batt. "Union Heavy Artillery". Enlisted in Union County at age 18 10 Mar 1862. Present through Oct 1864. Paroled in Charlotte on 3 May 1865. Henry is the step-brother to Jesse Greene Thomas. Henry's enlistment date predates this letter, and so why is Jesse asking his mother how Henry is? More on this in letter 4.

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