August 5 day 1862
It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to Drop you a flew lines to let you no that I am well at this time and I hope this few Lines may find you all well and harty. Dear father I have no nuse of Import to Rite tho I will give you the Best I have at this time there are some sharp skirmishes about here on James River for we can here the cannons Every fiew Day tho the yankeys wont come out to fight us yet I think that they Dred us tho & Don’t care if they Do stay away for If they came out we will have to fight them and I don’t think that there is much fun in fighting for someone must Be killed If we fight and we cant tell who It will Be till it is tride for I wish this war would End for I am tired of camp.
Father I wood Be glad for you to come out to see me if you have the chance you can come with McCorcle when he comes back you wood see more than you can Ever see in old Stanly I want to no if Palmer have paid you for them cows and if Auston have paid for them hogs I want to no how you are giting a Long with your taming lether I want to no if you got all your new grounds in and if you got all your grass and wheat and oats cut I thought of you about harvest and wished to Be there to help you cut I want you to read this to all the children I want to no if Dock ever says Enything about me so I must clos by saying I Remain your trew son J.C. PICKLER to Mr. R.G.D. Pickler
Sources: Christopher Watford, ed. The Civil War in North Carolina: Soldiers’ and Civilians’ Letters and Diaries, 1861-1865, Volume 1. (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2003).
