The following letter was written by James B. Simpson (1832-1908) of Co. B, 114th Pennsylvania Infantry. James was working as an upholsterer in Philadelphia when he volunteered as a corporal in August 1862 and mustered out in May 1865 as a 1st Sergeant. In 1892 he lived in Medford, Massachusetts. He died following “an attack of epilepsy” as he was “assisting in the decoration of a soldier’s monument in Oak Grove cemetery.”

[Note: The following letter is from the private collection of Greg Herr and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent. I did not correct the spelling or add punctuation to this letter.]

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Head Quarters Army Potomac
June 8th [1864]

Friend Markland,

Here i am once more with my Regiment i arived here on the 4th of this month after three weeks scouting through Virginna on the third of this month our Brigade supported the right of Burnsides Corps on the extream right of the Army Lee was trying to turn our right flank but did not succeed we did not get under a very heavy fire Lee finding our right to strong for him abandoned the attemp to turn it we held our line of battle untill noon next day when we pack up and started for our regiment got here in the afternoon the boys ware all glad to see us we are doing guard duty at Gen. Meads head quarters

[The] talk [of] Burnsides nigers fighting is all nonsense they have not been under fire yet and i don’t think Grant will put them in a fight you have not heird tell of any of them being wounded have you. their has been some of the hardest kind of fighting sence this campaign comenced the first two days fighting of Jonneys got the best of us but after that it was all up with them the seige of Richmond is a bout comenced head quarters is about 12 miles from Richmond the rebs have a very strong posision but i think Grant will make kite out.

give my respects to all my old friends i am in bully health and i hope you are the same i remain your friend J. B. Simpson