Civil War letter

(click on the letter to enlarge)


This is a letter from James L. Gray to his son James William Thomas Gray, my GG and G-Grandfathers respectively. It has been passed down through my family. On the back it says "Jimmy's Letter"

I understand that James L. Gray served in the Union army in the Civil War, so I am guessing that this is why he was away from home at this time. James was a Northerner from PA, but his wife Harriet was a Southerner, having come from KY, and in fact Jimmy grew up to marry a southern girl who's father was killed on the confederate side.

I find the letter to be readable, so I haven't typed the content here, please let me know if you want a transcript of it, and I'll add it here.

Some of the people mentioned in the letter need some explanation,

Ma is of course Harriet Gray, Jimmy's mother.

Grand Ma and Grand Pa are Harriet's parents, William and Martha Thomas.

The Dear Little Sisters are his sisters Mattie and Eugenia.

Little Gilson is his younger brother, Gilson Berryman Gray.

I don't know who Sammy, Blanchy or Sarah Martha are, possibly friends or cousins.

Jimmy Meador is his step-cousin James Meador Jr. His aunt Henrietta was married to James Meador Sr, but she was his second wife, and not James Jr's mother.

For more on this family, see the previous post.