Transcription: 1861 September 23rd Mr L S Joynes Dear sir i received yours of the 13th but a few minutes ago and rejoice to acknowledge the receipt of the same I would have received it before now but my regiment has for the past five or six days been on pickett duty and that is the reason you have not heard from it before now your letter stated that one Mr John H Cook had been sick in the hospital over which you presided and from whose hand the patients wants have been administered to in such away that ensured a renewal of his health to that degree that he was able to be discharged the man whom you alluded to was not the man to whom the letter was addressed to be sure it was the same in name but not in person the man to whom i addressed the letter was a member of my company of which i will give you the name and {also} the regiment the name of the company is the Charlotte Riffles or rather company K 18th regiment of virginia Volunteers Colonel R E Withers commanding John H Cook was a particu lar friend of mine and was selected by {me} and requested to accompany the last remains of my brother in law to my home in Charlotte the reason i sent him the money was the night we got to manassas with the corpse we went out in the country to stay till morning and had all of our money stolen from us which knocked me out of going home as well as it did my friend from travelling without the same all the way through and i returned to camp to send him the money to travel with I rejoice in your wise decision and congratulate you for information concerning the same i had written several letters to richmond about the letter and could here nothing you will please forward it to fairfax C[ourt] H[ouse] and direct the letter to Mr John J Cook co K 18th regiment of virginia volunteers care of captain Spencer -yours always John J Cook