Oct 7th [1862]

Newport Barracks N.C.

Dear Sister

I am seated in
the woods on picket a writing
to yo in answer to a letter
that I received this fore
noon dated sept the twenty eight
I was glad to here from you
and to here that you are
all well your letter found
me in good health and
enjoying my self as well
as usual a soldiers life is
what suits me I never
was so healthy nor enjoyen
myself better in my life
than I have since I have
ben in uncle Sams service
I have seen some hard times
but we must not expect
to have it all sunshine
turn over to the third page,
[page 3]

we are having cool pleasent
weather now and mooneshiney
nights that is in oure favor
while on picket I have to go
on picket once in three nights
we have three on a post and
take turns in setting up on
watch so it does not make
it verry hard for us. I went
down to the sound about
a week a go and had a
salt water bath it done
me lots of good. it is
three miles down thare
a plesant walk thare is
plenty of fish and clams
thare we did not go prepared
to fish enny we went within
half of a mile of thare
with mart whitney
after aload of brick to
build an oven so while
turn to the fourth page
[page four]
while mart came back to
onlode we went to the sound
we borrowed a couple of lines
and hooks and part us went
fishing the other two went
after clams we caught fifteen
pan fish and a young shark
the shark was about a foot
long the others was about
the sise of alewhaps [1] the ones
that went after clams got
a bout a peck and had them
all cooked by the time we
came in to the shore
we then eat our our dinner
and started to com back
to whare the brick was
when we got back thare the
captain came along and
told us that mart could
not come back again so we
[page 2]
started in persuit of some
grapes we found about four
quarts of the best wild grapes
that I ever eat I came acrost
some persimmons that was
wripe i eat all that I could
they are the best fruit that
I ever saw I am a goin to get
some and send home if I can
find enny more you wrote
to have us be careful what
we bought of the inhabatents
around here they have got nothing
to sell but sweat potatoes they
sell them at a dollar a bushel
they ask a dollar and sixty cents
at the store for irish potatos
I would like to swap some
sweat ones with you fore some
of your sandy [bakes?] when it
gets cooler i am agoin to send
home some potatoes and other

fruits