Camps near Kinston North carliner
may 9 1864
Dear wife and children I once more
im brace the presant oppertunity
of riten you a few lines to let you
know how I am I am only tolrible
I feal vary much ferteag after our
hard march I sencerly hope these lines may
find you all well and doing well I receivd
your kind Letter yesterday eavning from
the hand of Mr Dill and was glad to hear
you was all well and that your foot was
most well I hope it is well in this time
you Sed you had never herd from me Sens
denis Crain Come home I have rote you 4
Sens that last tuesday we left hear
to go and take newbarn and thersday a
bout 11 oclock we struck ther picket lines
and run in ther pickets kild 2 and tuck 3
prisners went on tell about 12 and Come to
rail roade marcht down it bout 2 miles
And met a gun bote on the rail rode our
troops was formed in a line of battle and
our artillry fierd on it and drive it
back to the river then it and the
Boats on the water comenst a fire on us
and Sutch a bumbardment I never
heard the bums bursting over our heads
Con tin uly like thunder and cuting
A. H. Lister
[page 2]
off tree tops and Lims over out heds
we lay under it a bout 2 ours and half
when we was ouderd to dubble quick 3
miles out of the range of ther guns [and?]
witch we did but a lass bout dark we had
ouders to go back and take our same persison
witch we did and lay thar all nite but thay
dident shoot but 2 or 3 guns that nite next
day ever thing was calm Jenerl koke sent
A flag of truce over de manden a serrender
of the place I dont no what sort of a dispatch
he got All I no is we was nun of our redgt
hert ther was 3 kild and 11 wounded in the
26 SC redgt ther was one man in the 22
Co C left Sick on the feild not able
to get a way it was manin wood I dont
no how long we will Stay hear nor where
we will go when we leve her I think
the troops pirty much all lef her
last nite and this morning to go to
verjiney I want to se you all mity
Bad but I am a frade it will Be a long
time be fore I Shal have the chans
to se you A. H. Lister to Mary J Lister

[Austin H. Lister was killed two months later.]