I believe this letter was written by Lt. Alexander Creus of Co. G, 30th North Carolina Infantry. He was from Granville county, North Carolina, where the Stark family was from and I believe he originally served in the 46th North Carolina; later as as sergeant and lieutenant in Co. E, 30th North Carolina.
The letter was addressed to Kysar J. Stark of Grannville county, North Carolina, whose son James (“Jimmie”) T. Stark served in Co. E, 46th North Carolina Infantry, and was wounded on 5 May 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness. It appears he was struck by a shell or a minié ball that shattered the bone near the elbow of one of his arms and it was later amputated. Jimmie was discharged from the service for disability in December 1864.
TRANSCRIPTION
Gordonsville, Va.
July 9th 1864
Mr. Stark,
I write you a few lines this evening to let you hear from [your son] Jimmie. Jimmie is still at Gordonsville in the hospital. He is doing very well. I have written to you three times about him but don’t know whether you ever got them or not. He says he would like for you to come to see him. He is wounded in his right arm. It was very badly broken at the elbow. He is getting on very well.
Very respectfully yours, — Alex Crues
Spared & Shared 18 