These letters were written by James Lee Green (1822-1864) while he was serving as a private in Co. H, 30th North Carolina Infantry. He wrote the letters to his wife, Mary Ann (Griffith) Green (1822-1906). The couple made their home in Rutherford county, North Carolina, and two of their four children are mentioned—George Washington Green (1858-1933) and Jasper L. Green (1860-1913).

The experiences of the Green family during the Civil War are meticulously documented in the book, “A Broad River Digest,” compiled in 1991 by Irene Roach Delano, a direct descendant. The narrative reveals that James entered military service in the spring of 1862. Prior to his departure to join his regiment, he took the necessary steps to ensure his affairs were in order, which included drafting his will and commissioning family portraits. Two of these portraits are featured in Delano’s work. Throughout his service in the Confederate army, James and Mary Ann maintained a profound emotional connection, exchanging heartfelt letters that conveyed their enduring love. These letters are currently preserved by Irene Delpino; however, it remains unclear whether this specific letter was included in that collection.

In May, 1864, James Lee was captured at the Battle of Bloody Angle in Spottsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, and transferred to the prison at Elmira, New York. In June of that year he wrote Mary Ann advising her of his capture, as well of his illness. On October 4, 1864, he died of dysentery at Elmira and was buried at the Woodlawn National Cemetery, in Elmira, in lot number 600W.N.C.

James does not give the location of his regiment but the regimental history indicates they would have been with the Army of Northern Virginia encamped somewhere along the Rapidan river.

Letter 1

Camp near Orange Court House, Va.
January 31st 1864

Dear wife,

I drop you a few lines to inform you that I am well as common, hoping these few lines may find you and family enjoying good health. I have no news of importance to write to you at this time—only we have had a very warm spell of weather for the last week or two. But I expect we will get paid for it before long. We are down on the river on picket now. We went down yesterday. We had to go one week sooner than we expected. We will go back to camp next Saturday.

I received a letter from Howell last week stating that he had received a box for me that you had sent me and I went right after it and Howell went home with me and till next day and I fixed him a good supper and breakfast for him. Everything came safe and I was more than glad to get it but I had to leave it at camp. But I took what I thought would spoil and I left the balance in good hands. I want to know what arrangements you and McIntyre made about bringing it for he charged me ten dollars for bringing it. I did not have the money to pay him but Howell was going to settle it and if he did not, I want you to let me know.

I also received a letter from you when I got the box and I was glad to hear from you. Your brother Walk stayed with Howell the night before I went up there. He expected I would be there. Him & Howell’s camp is close by each other and they are ten miles from me. I did not have time to go to see Walk but him & Howell is coming to see me. I was glad to get my Brandy. Me and Howell drank some of it and the balance was stole when I was out on guard and I laid it to one of my own mess—Mr. Hoyle—for he was left there by himself. He was lying on the bed and could not clean himself.

As long as the children has sent me their grapes and pan, was so glad to get them. I will send them a pretty fifty cent bill apiece and tell them to be smart children. Tell Jan Comstock and if they want to buy anything with it, let them get it. I want you to write to me how the stock is doing and how the corn and things hold out. And I want you to make Sal go to cleaning up briars and things when it will make [ ]. I will write to you before long & tell you how to manage with the hands. Don’t think hard of me for not writing to you sooner for I was out of paper. So I will come to a close by asking you to write soon. Give my respects to all and accept a liberal portion yourself. Yours as ever, — J. L. Green

To M. A. Green

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Letter 2

[Editor’s note: This letter began as a letter from Mary Ann (Griffith) Green to her husband James Lee Green.]

January 14, 1864

Dear husband,

I have taken my seat to let you know that we are all with the hope that this may find you well. I heard that William Mack was to start tomorrow [for the regiment] and went this evening to see if he would take you a box & came back & went to preparing you something to eat & the chickens is crowin’ for day & I have not slept any tonight but I don’t mind it for I was so glad to send you something to eat. I would walk all night to get you the box. I sent you your new shoes and jeans, blanket, and something to eat & I can’t hear from you since whether you got them or no. My dear husband, do write every chance for I write every week to you. Don’t think hard of me for writing on this paper for I am out of paper. I am going to Shelby Tuesday to get salt and I will get paper. I have salt plenty yet but I will get [more] for fear I will get out. It is 40 cents per pound.

You wanted to know about the stock. I have all the sheep in the field so I can take care of them & cows is looking well & I think the heifer will give milk by the last of March & the young pigs, I take care of them like the children. Pap’s sow has 4 pigs and mine has three. Susan has 4. They are all nice pigs. My dear husband, I must come to a close for I am so tired. I want you to write back what all you get in your box & if you are scarce of paper, you. can write back on this.

To Mrs. Mary Green
March 4th 1864

Dear wife,

I can inform you that I am well as common at this time & I trust that these few lines may find you all enjoying the same blessing. I come off picket on Saturday & on the next day after I wrote to you I had to go on a march some twenty or more [miles]. It was a raining and a freezing when I started. It rained all day long and at night it [turned into] a pretty smart snow & we had to lay out and take it. I suffered a good deal with cold and we had marching orders yesterday but we did not go more than a mile or so & the road was the muddiest that I ever saw & the muddiest set of men that you. ever saw. And I have not got over it yet. My legs hurt me very bad yet.

Dear wife, you need not send me anything more until I write to you again. There was one thing that I neglected to write to you before. When we were down on picket, five of our men out of the 14 left and sent over to the Yankees and 4 out of the 30 left & went to the Yankees—all out of this brigade & two of them was out of my company & I was not close to them when it took place. One of them was my best friend—Hunter, my great mate. Hunter and Branch were the men’s names that deserted.

I want you to write to me how you are a getting on with your crop & I want you to move the cross fence at the upper side of the column [?] and tend all the good ground in it and also tear it out at the lower side & clean up around that big dead pine and you will have to get somebody to clean out the ditches.

Dear wife, I would like to see you all very much but I do not know when that will be. It looks like that it is but seldom that I can hear from you and I have wrote your father and family [but] I cannot hear from them. I think hard that they don’t write to me. Tell George & Jasper I will send them a pretty to put on their hats but you take it and put it on all the hats and I want you to write to me and give me all the news that you can. And give me the news how the the people are in general about this war. I hear in camp that South Carolina is a going back into the Union and I want you to sends me word who it was that made my shoes for they have give out—one of them—so that I come and put him in the war.

Dear wife, I want you to kiss the children for me and tell. them to be smart and remember me. So I will close for this time by saying howdy and farewell & write soon as you get this and let me hear from you. I remain your true friend until death, — J. L. Green

To Mrs. Mary A. Green