Here are some of the things I have from my great-grandfather James M. Gray at Camp Nelson from Nov. 1863 until sometime in 1865.
Two Poems written at Camp Nelson.
Notes on chronology of his life
05-01-1840 Born at home on Beaver Creek, Floyd County, VA10-29-1860 Poem: It’s Not Been Long, Simpson’s P.O.11-20-1860 Poem: ‘My Familiar Friend’, Simpson’s P.O., VA.
05-10-1860 Poem: ‘Tobacco Chewers’, Simpson’s P.O., Floyd Co., VA 01-24-1861 Essay: ‘The Broken Hearted’ [
02-02-1861 Poem: ‘Tell Her I Love Her Yet’, Simpsons PO, Floyd Co., VA
02-02-1861 Poem: ‘ Beauty in Nature [Flora]’, Simpson’s P.O., VA.
05-17-1861 Poem: ‘To Elzora, Simpson’s P.O., Floyd Co., VA
06-14-1862 Poem, _______________, Locust Grove, Floyd Co., VA
07-xx-1862 Poem, ‘Lines…to Virginia R.S.’
07-24-1862 Account of dream while ‘camped at Mrs. Muse’s’, Franklin Co.
08-xx-1862 Conscripted forcibly into Co. I, 54th VA Inf, Wythville, VA
11-30-1862 Letter to Father from Wythville
12-11-1862 Letter to Mother from Wythville
12-20?-1862 Moved (by train?) to Petersburg 12-25-1862 Letter to Father from Petersburg down now Route 460
01-06-1863. Letter to Sister from Franklin, VA
02-09-1863. Oath of Allegiance at Ft Monroe, VA 02-xx-1863 Ship to Baltimore from Ft Monroe
03-20-1863 Letter to Parents from Philadelphia
08-17-1863 ‘Went to Camp Nelson. KY.
09-11-1863 Grandfather Joseph Howard Gray died
01-xx 1864 Trip to Cincinnati, Ohio
04-11-1864 Poem Camp Nelson, Handley, KY
Summer 1864 Clerk at steam saw mill, Camp Nelson; was ‘sickly’
09-16-1864 Note at Camp Nelson, KY {no JMG name on it]
03-04-1865 Poem Camp Nelson, KY
1865 Working in sawmill as clerk accounting lumber produced for “Negro cots, machine shop, wagon shop, Mooneys Coral, saw mill, depot magazine. 04-xx-1865 Poem: ‘The Rocking Cradle Ladies’, Camp Nelson, KY
07-06-1865 Camp Nelson: Letter to President of US requesting Postmaster.
09-13-1865? Oath of Allegiance to US taken at Jacksonville,(Floyd, VA}
11-13-1865 Camp Nelson: Date on return address mail label
04-27-1867 Ltr from M. Scott to Floyd? from Jassamine, KY
09-25-1870 Married Nancy Ellen Lester
02-01-1872 Child born:
10-xx-1872 Name in ‘Union Handbook’, Simpsons, VA.
02-24-1874 Child born:
03-06-1876 3d child, boy, born and died
03-22-1877 Child born at Daniel’s Run
10-22-1879 Child born at Locust Grove
04-13-1879 Moved from Locust Grove to Graysville, VA
04-29-1879 Note: buying land from Mr Pelham
11-17-1879. Moved from Graysville to Roanoke
12-02-1881. Child born:
09-24-1882 Editorial: Locust Grove, VA.
09-04-1885 Editorial: Locust Grove, VA.
01-19-1887 Child born: 09-24-188903-24-1889 Letter of Affidavit on Camp Nelson service written by Joseph T. Turner
09-24-1889 Died age 49.01-19-1892 Application for Civil War pension returned by lawyer to Nancy Ellen Lester Gray.
Submitted by Jan M. Gray
Jmgrayco@aol.com
Camp Nelson Dispatch 
