Newbern. N.C. Oct 2nd [1862]

Dear Sister

I received
your letter dated Sep 20th last
wedensday but I was on
guard and could not write
that day and we have
ben so busy moving since
that I have not had time
to write the seventeenth regt
releived us yesterday and
we have taken their place
about two miles from the
town on the south side of
the trent river in barracks
it is a lonsome place but
it is better than in the
town for we do not have so
mutch duty to do we do
not have to be saluting
[page 2]
shoulder straps all of the
while I understood that we
wer to be paid to day but
I do not see enny sign
of it yet we signed the
pay roal last night the
men are hard up for
money I have ben out for a
week or two but I feel jest
as well without it as I
do with it if I have it
I shall spend it and if I
dont I shant I will not
borrow nor run in to debt
with the sutlers I mean
to send my money home the
pay day not spend it as
I did last but it is a
hard place to keep money
in the city but we are
so far from thare now and
it is so hard travling that
[page 3]
I do not think that I
shall want to go very
often you said somthing
about takin som laughing
gas to get a tooth taken out
you ought to have nerve enough
to hav a tooth ought with
out taking enny thing I had
my toe nail about half
taken ought with out taken
enny thing and that is
worse than taken a half
a dosen teeth out he took
a pair of sisors as big as
the ones you use and run
the point under the nail
and split it down through
the middle then took a
pair of nippers and peeled
it out peace to time it
took him fifteen minutes
then he did not get it
[page 4]
all out he wated three
or four days then took another
peace out as big as my thum
nail that was down in the flesh
so far that I could not see
it but it cured it so that it
is as well as it ever was
the pay master has come and
is paying some of the companys
you nead not look for me
home till I come I do not
no when that will be
I may not come at all
I cannot tell you tell
Mrs Horner that she nead
not worry about Mr Horner
for he is well and thare
is no danger of him enlisting
again we wer paid this
after noon and shall send
a check on
the westfeild bank
as we have done before
I shall send twenty dolars
and Chauncey twenty
five no more at
present A Holcomb
Chauncey will send the check