Gravel Hill, Va, Feb 14th, 1865
Dr. Cocke.
Dear Sir,
Having been told that your are one of the few men that can be found these heartless times who will spare bread as long as you have it to spare, justice to my child and myself promise me to appeal to you though a perfect stranger to let me have several bbls of corn or five bushels of wheat & about two bbls of corn. My husband's misfortunes just before the war commenced compelled him to leave his family in a very dependent situation-, though he volunteered in the beginning and has done his duty up to the present for a County there refuses to allow bread enough for his wife and one child eight years old, let alone one person to stay with me. My neighbors & physician say I ought not to stay without a white person having such frequent and violent attacks of illness as I do. I do not ask the county for meat & only ask for two bushels of meal per month for my child, a woman and myself, but the agent refuses to allow but 60 lbs of meals per month & I am compelled to feed an old man (an old family servant) out of that, as I can't buy it, I have tried some of the wealthiest citizens of Buckingham and have not succeeded in getting one bushel of wheat or corn not even a little wheat for coffee. I suppose they were ashamed to ask a soldier's wife such prices & would not take less, for I know from good authority that some of them had it. I can't live without it though I be compelled to sell the last treasure I have on earth rather than see my child cry for bread. My husband don't know my true situation nor do I want him to know it. It was truly humiliating to one raised as I was to for see to call on the County for aid, but extortion chose me to it, nor would I do it now if I had any health at my fathers, but his farm being on the most unhealthy portion of the Chickahominy in Hanover area. I having spent the most of my childhood days in Cumberland with my grandfather(now dead) I have no health at my fathers, I paid him a visit last fall & was there but a short time before one of my children was taken sick & died & was compelled to hurry the other up home. My father having a large & expensive family & having lost so, by the frequent raids of Yankees can't provide for me away from him. Being a stranger you will want some proof of this note, I refer you to the Rev. [unclear: Jno. C.] Blackwell & Major G.B. Homes of the Buckingham Institute and others if you wish. Please excuse my intruding on your patience so long in writing such a long note as fewer words could not have told you my true situation nor does this tell all, and let me beg you to comply with my request if you possibly can. I have five hundred dollars and will sell my cow to raise more if no other way for I can do without milk better than bread. Please let me hear from you as soon as possible for I haven't a dust of meal & if you let me have it I will make some arrangement to get it to [unclear: New] Center & send you the money. Let me know your price and by complying you will confer a favor that will ever be appreciated by one truly in need.
Most respectfully Yours,
Ann M. Miles
Address: Mrs. M.E. Miles Gravel Hill
P.S. if you can't spare what I ask for please spare as much as you can if only one bbl.