Camp Hampshire
Newbern Sept 3rd [1862]


Dear Parents Brothers and Sisters

I take my pen in hand to write to
yo to let yo no that I am well
and and hope these few lines
will find you the same I am
excused from duty to day I went
down to the hosptal this morning
at sergons calls to get som
cough medican and the doctor
gave me about to table spoonful
of salts and excused me from
duty I did not expect to get
excused but was willing to except
one my cough has bothered me for
thee or four days some not very
bad I shall get over it in a few
days I guess it is what you would
call hot here to day the sun shines
write down on a fellow the weather
has ben quite cool for a few
[page 2]
days back it has ben cloudy
and showry the band was
mustird out of service saturday
and started for home yesterday the
cornel went with them he is a
goin to get a nother band and the
regment is a goin to pay them the
staf oficers are a goin to pay ten dollars
a pice the suttler twenty the captain
eight the first lieut seven the
second lieut six they want the private
to pay half a dollar a peice they took
a vote on it this morning they had
ten for it and the rest against it
I was against it I told the boys
that I would waite till the band
came then I would do as I saw
fit to do I do not no wheather
they will get one or not but
I presume they will they did
not like the old leader very well
he was to lazy he would not lern
eny new peices but play the old ones
[page 3]

all the while we want to have

you send us a box we want each
of us a goo[d] too bladed jack knife I want
a pocket book get a good calfskin
one or something that will ware
Chauncey wants to or three good
three cornered files and a flat file
to file bone with (tell the boys to
go over to abel stiers old shingle mills
and steal some of them old saw
files) get the small ones) he wants
to have you get a pocket
kit of carvers tools it is like an awl
the top of the handle screws of[f] and
the handle is hollow and fild
with awls drills chisels and one
thing and a nother you will find
one at the hardware store it will
cost about fifty or seventy five
cents you can put some other things
if you are a mind to do not put in
enny cake or enny thing that will spoil
a peice of cheese would keep i guess
[page 4]
thare has a number of boxes
has come for this company fild
with cakes and sutch stuf and
all spoilt if you will send on
these things we will sent home
a ring or somthing of that kind
evry mail I am a goin to send
home my money this pay day we
expect to get our pay before long
we have all signed the payroals
and I here that the pay master
is in the city. I have got a [does?] goat [1]
that I have ben thinking about sending
home but i do not no as it will pay
thare is not a hole in it it is wrinkled
and faded some so I got a new one
Cha[u]ncey has got a number of
little trinkets but i do no no as it
will pay to send them home this mail
but i was not quick enough he is
hured so that i have to speak a day
before hand in order to get one and if i want a spell
untill he gets over his hurry I shall
get a better one from your son a holcomb