[1] Newbern. N.C. Aug 22 [1862]

Dear Brothers

I take this operpuntly

to write to you to
let you no that I am well
and hope these few lines
will find you the same
we are having quite pleasent
weather here now it is cloudy
now but warm and rains
almost evry day thare is a
plenty of fruit here now
peaches are one dollar a bushel
apples are the same the fruit
is not so good here as it is
at the north it is wormey
and not so seet [2] and plesant
to eat. we had a Corporal
die in our company the
twentyeth and had his funeral
the same day we had wrather
[page 2]
of a bad time it rained all
the time while we wer marching
to the grave it rained so that
the chaplain did nothing but
make a prare we got wet
as sop but it did not hurt
us enny for we are used to
it it is nothing for us to
get wet through then lie
down on the ground and
sleep like a log all night
you would think it would
kill you if you had it to
do. we think nothing of it
some of the boys ly on the
ground all the time
and wake up in the morning
as bright as a pin and eat
a harty breakfast on salt
horse and hard bread and
a cup of coffee for dinner
the same without the coffee
for supper tea and hard
[page 3]
bread and grow fat at that
I had my picture taken
yesterday I will send it
home to you it was not a
very good one it was to late
in the day I am a goin to
have another taken in a
few days Chauncey and
I am a goin to have one
taken togeather. I thot that
I wou[ld] let you see in this
one how we eat our grub
seting on the ground with
our knapsacks for a table with
a peice of canvas for a covring
only think living under
cloth for a year with out
enny other coverin but then
as long as i like it what
do I care what we have
to live in if we can only have
som fun once in a while
to see the rebels skedadle
[page 4]
we have a chance to
go on a scouting
expedition once in a
while we turn out more
men then than enny
other time i would go
twenty miles enny day to
get a squint a crost my
old musket at one of the
cowardly devels the guerrillas
have all ben orderd of[f] to ritchmond
from around here there was two
came down and gave themselves
up the other day they brought
the news we have got four in
our regt that gave themselves
up you must excuse me for
now for dinner is ready

from your brot

A Holcomb