Letter from James D. Vermillion to Abraham Berry McConnell

Nov. the 25th 1861

Pocahontas Co. VA Green Brier Bridge

Mr. A. B. McConnell Dear Sir

I am not very well. I am afflicted with pains but when these lines reaches you I hope they may find you and your family enjoying the verry best of health. There is a good deal of complaining among our Company this morning. Sum have the yellow Jonders sum the mumps and various other disease. Our Capt. S. P. McConnell is well. Milton has had the mumps tolerable bad recently but says he feels first rate this morning. I suppose you will see in Miltons letter that we are stationed here for winter Quarters. three quarters of a mile below this bridge on the north side of this river six miles N.W. of Huntersville. We are still in our tents and working at our camps but I don't think we cant git in to them before Christmas If then. We suffer a great deal from smoke and will continue to suffer until we git in to our camps. I want you to git me a pair of good boots made for me. I have written to my brother John H. Vermillion about giting me a pair made and to go to you and git the leather for them but I will depend on you to git them made as you can do more with John Smyth than he can and try to git him to cir the note I hold on him for the makeing of them. If you can git them made have them made with broad bottoms broad heels high on the instep and long enough so I can ware too pair of socks with them for this is a cold country and we are a good ways North. I suppose we are sum two hundred and fifty or sixty miles North of our homes. My folks have sent me an old pair of boots but they are too light and thin for this country. If you can get me a pair made and conveyed to me as quick as convenient I will be much oblige to you besides pay you what is wright for your trouble. I wan you also to see to that matter I wrote you about sum time since an Execution I had in my hands for collection in favour of John Frasier against Was Taylor git him to take the Execution back and lift my Receipt as you know him. I want nothing more to do with that man and if you will do me that favour I will be ever oblige to you and perfectly willing to pay you for your trouble. I forgot to tell you I received your big letter and was pleased to see that much though I would have been much more pleased had thare been more of it, you must wright me as often as you can, make it convenient and give me the general news of that country. It has been reported here that the enemy had got in to Wise Co. and was trying to make there way through to Bristol and that they had made there way up the Livisa Fork of Sandy river in to the New Garden Russell Co. wanting to make there way to the salt works. I am sorry to here of the death of sum of our friends in that country. I should like to see you and have the pleasure of talking with you about matters and things. tell Lucy houdy and that I would like to see her and eat sum of her good milk so know more at present.

Your true friend James D. Vermillion