[Oct 24 1862]


Dear Friends At Home

I take my
pen in hand to write you
a few lines to let you
know that I am well and
hope these few lines
will find you the
same. it is getting to
be quite cold down here
we had a frost last
night for the first
time the cold takes rite
hold of a felow here he
wants a great coat and
mittens on to keep warm
it takes hold of a man
more here than it does
up north it is bad for
pickets to be out all night
I was out night before last
[page 2]
and expect to be out tomorrow
night I have to go on once
in three nights I went up to
haverlock last thursday on
picket and staid till monday
I went on two nights a running
I had to take another mans
place that tried to play off
he eat so mutch fresh beef
that it made him sick. I
had traveled about ten miles
that day and felt wrather
tired and went to bed about
dark and went to sleep and
slep till nine oclock when
the corporal woke me up
to go on post I felt wrather
cros and grumbled some you
may bet but it was of no
use for I was the only man
that was thare but what was
on duty
[page 3]

I saw the best plantation
that I have seen in north
carolina thare was about fifty
negro houses a big cotton house
and press thare was one
thousand acres all in one
level plain it was divided
off in squares by ditches
it was the ritchest land that
I have seen the corngrass
was higher than my head
thare was about one third
of it planted to corn
it had not ben gatherd the
cattle and hogs run whare
they was a mind to we took
down a nice young heifer
and brought her to camp.
I must draw to a close from
your son Alfred Holcomb
[page 4]

Oct 24th [1862]
to day I have been making this ring to send to
Emma I had to fix one for Ward so I have not got
as much time to write as I wanted to I ment to
of writen to the boys about our going to Haverlock
on picket we had a little the bigest time up there
that I have had it is ten miles from here there
we go on the Cars there is a large bridge there to
Guard a block house has been built there and a 24 lb
carenade mounted in it the officers that have been
there before us darcent fire the gun for fear it
would recoil so quick (it is very short) as to blow the
side of the house out but Lieut Wood told us to load
it and he would fire we fired it three times with canester
and the last time the carage broke and the old gun
carage and all went clear acrost the block house
and lay in one pile no one was hurt but there
was an awfull shouting as I have not time now
to write for the Cars are coming B. Wallace
must ask Charles to let them read his letter that
tells somthing about our experiances at Haverlock
and my day afishing in Bogue Sound Chauncey