Camp 1st U.S.C.T. Near Hampton [Va.] apl the 2[2] 1864
My Dear wife I thake this opportunity to inform you that I am well and Hoping when thoes few Lines Reaches you thay my find you Enjoying Good Health as it now fines me at Prisent Give my Love to all my friend I Recived you Last letter and was verry Glad to Hear fome you you must Excuse you fore not Riting Before this times the times I Recive you Letter I was order on a march and I had not times to Rite to you I met witch a Bad mich-fochens I Ben [S]ad of I Lost my money I think I will com Down to See you this weeck I thought you Hear that I was hear and you wood com to see me Git a Pass and com to see me and if you cant git Pass Let me know it Give my Love to mother and Molley Give my Love to all inquaring fried
No more to Say Still Remain you Husband untall Death
Rufus Wright
Derect you Letter to foresess Monre VA
wilson Creek Va May 25th 1864
dear wife I take the pleasant opportunity of writeing to you a fiew lines to inform you of the Late Battle we have had we was a fight on Tuesday five hours we whipp the rebls out we Killed $200 & captured many Prisener out of our Regiment we lost 13 Thirteen Sergent Stephensen killed & priate out of Company H & about 8 or 10 wounded we was in line Wednesday for a battele But the rebels did not Appear we expect an Attack every hour give my love to all & to my sisters give my love to Miss Emerline tell John Skinner is well & sends much love to her. Joseph H Grinnel is well & he is as brave a lion all the Boys sends there love them give my love to Miss Missenger You must excuse my short Letter we are most getting ready to go on Picket No more from your Husband
Ruphus Wright
Rufus Wright to Dear wife, 2[2] Apr. 1864, and Ruphus Wright to dear wife, 25 May 1864, filed with affidavit of Elisabeth Wright, 21 Aug. 1865, Letters & Orders Received, series 4180, Norfolk VA Assistant Subassistant Commissioner, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, & Abandoned Lands, Record Group 105, National Archives.
Published in The Black Military Experience, pp. 661–63, in Free at Last, p. 470, in Freedom's Soldiers, pp. 122–24, and in Families and Freedom, pp. 166–67. Also published are a certificate of the marriage of Private Wright and his wife, Elisabeth, and an affidavit by Elisabeth Wright given after Private Wright's death in battle.