Newbern August 31th [1863]

Dear Sister Emma

I take my

pen in hand to write you
a few lines to let you kno
that I am well and hope
these few lines will find
you the same Chauncey came
back yesterday he was fealing
pretty well he sead that he
felt better than he did
when he left home he had
a pretty hard time a coming
they got ketched in a storm
and got bload off to sea
probly he has wrote all about
it I got a letter from mother
last night dated the 16th and
one from you this morning dated
the 21st I was glad to hear from
home and you may bet that
[page 2]
I was glad to see Chauncey
the men was all glad to
see him he had ben gone so
long they all had to shake hands
with him and ask him how he
felt and how things wer at home
he brought me some things that
go pretty well with our hard
tack and salt horse his
chickens and pairs wer all
spoilt them cakes that
aunt Sophia sent came
all right and the
Cheese and sirup and the
preserves that Aunt Elisebeth
sent are the best that I
have seen in a good while
I have not sead [1] enny
thing about a furlough
yet I shall wait till the
apples and other fruit are
more ripe I shall get one
[page 3]
jest as quick so keep still

about it as I shall
to keep talking about it
all the while we are agoin
to move out of the city this
week I do not no whare we
are agoin to encamp wheather
we go in to barracks or tents
I hope that they will put
us on picket but no sutch
good luck for us I presume
that they will stick us in
them little [nasty?] tents
that are not large enough to
straten out in it will be
luck I hope that old palmer
will be satsifide and keep
his tounge between his teeth
whare it belongs I send a
ring with this it is one that
I made some time ago
it will not fit me I
do not no wheather it
[page 4]
will fit you or not if
it will not give it to
sombody that it will fit
I will send a book to one
of the boys when I send this
I do not think of enny
thing more to write now
give my best to respects
to all enquiring frends

from your

ever affectionate

brother
A. Holcomb