Cabell County W Va Dec 5th 1865
M Peirpont
General
Your humble servant having recived [sic] from your uncle the Governer [sic] in 1862. 25 gund for the purpose of protecting our selves against the rebels and afterward to form ourselves in an independent Scout Company which I did not succeed to organize only imperfectly for want of the number required, afterward the Said guns Were used in the state guard and the balance of the amuninitions [sic] Were distrubited and used up in the service previous receiving The French Rifle with which we were armed when disbanded since I have distributed the rifles in my possession to our disarmed state guard. Discharged soldiers, and good Union Citizens that were willing to stand by the law and we have found it necessary at our election to go in arm to protect our selves against the threatening rebels, if you give me the command of the minute company and if you give me more guns I can arm over fifty men and we can hereafter dispense with any other troops we have in our County and the adjoining bands of individual that still carry on the practice of horse and house stealing the constables nor the sheriff can do any good to put down such a gang, no one but the citizens organised [sic] can do it the within inclosed [sic] letter that the signers have suggested should be writen [sic] to the governer [sic] you will be so kind to communicate and if you favor me with an answer and directions how to act I will be your most obedient Servant
Julius Lesage
Supervisor of Union Township
Barboursville Cabell Co
Transcription by Jack Stephenson, undergraduate student enrolled in Dr. Billy Joe Peyton's Fall 2010 "Introduction to Public History" at West Virginia State University