Oxford, Doddridge Co Va,
July the 24, 1861
Der[sic] sir, permit me to address a few lens[sic] to you, some tow[sic] mounth [sic] ago county was fild[sic] with spise[sic] an traitors form our on pertection is call my neighbors an form a company of 120 men and boys abel[sic] to bare arms, who draud [sic] a article all signed and elected officers and point a commity [sic] of saiftey[sic] our company is nown[sic] by the Doddridge County raingers[sic under the control of the said commity[sic] who have taken 81 trators[sic] and tacon[sic] taken them to camp on the raildroad[sic] and they tacon[sic] the Butten[sic] oath on yesterday who form our selves into a company to subject to the call of the governner[sic] of Virginia to go to eney[sic] place in Nourth[sic] Western Virginia. Who may be call on the only 30 gunes[sic] in our company who wood[sic] like to drill at Oxford, most all of company have fameleys[sic] and are farmers pleas[sic] instruct, us how to organnise[sic] so who can risire[sic] arms and where our servise[sic] wood[sic] be needed[sic] give me all the infermation[sic] neasary[sic] and if gite[sic] arms if who had arms who wood[sic] stard[sic] fourthwith[sic] to yellow creek and leeding[sic] creek and the west fork of the canawha kanawha where the rebbles[sic] have run of more than 30 good union men they came to my son house tuck[sic] his guns and in a feaw[sic] days came and shot at him he ascept[sic] to the woods he staid[sic] in the wood 2 days got this hours and travil[sic] 20 mile though[sic] the woods not daring to travling[sic] eney[sic] road ore[sic] path fore[sic] they ware[sic] all garded[sic] by the rebbles[sic] he lefte[sic] his wife with a child 10 days old if [?] rebellion fourth with please rite[sic] to me yours trowely[sic]
Ephraim Bee
H Peirpint[sic] govenner[sic] of Virginia
Transcription by Shannon Laws, undergraduate student enrolled in Dr. Billy Joe Peyton's Fall 2010 "Introduction to Public History" at West Virginia State University