newberne, NC Sep. the 24, 1863

Dear parents as i
have just received a letter
from you i thought i would
answer it now as i had
a good opporunity my health
was never better hopeing
of yours the same I was very
glad to hear from you and
the rest; it is very pleasant
to me to have John and
lizzie at home so that
i can get a letter from
you all at once; i did
not write that letter
to create any hard feelings
to John nor to make you
think that i was kepet
a most starved for i get
a most of the time enough
[page 2]
to eat such as it is
though i dident know
what it was to be hungry
till i come into the army
i have bin so hungry
on a march that i have
eaten raw pork and beaf
and eaten corn [feal?]
stured in water when i could
ent get enything else to
eat; i went on a march
the other day down the
neuce river into pamlico
sound and saided a cross
into a kind of back bay
and went to a small village
the name of it is swan
corner hide county, nc. [1] there
is a court house and geol [2]
there was only to or three
familes of widdow wimen
there we went to forage
corn as near as is can
[page 3]
learn but there was
non there besides
that was groing about
eight or ten acors i thought
and they sed there were
a few sweet potatoes but i
dident see eny and there
was a few apples but the
oficers wouldent let us
tuch them but they were
eating them about all
the time they were there
but we came back without
geting a thing, now as
for knews i dont get
eny you get all that so
you can write it; once
in a while when
there is a boat coming
from charlston to go north
it tuches of beaufort some
times so we get the knews
before you do; i think
[page 4]
[t]hat gilmore is doing the
right thing the place is as good
as taken now though it takes
some time to brake such a
strong hold as that was after they
have taken that i think they
will go to wilmington or some
other of those Sea port Places
now i will drop this subject
and start ane[?] you worte about
my last letter hurting
John feelings it was not my
intention to do so i know
i sed that it wasent harder
for him to come then
it was for me it wasent
in one [???] [??] another it
was but if i have hurt his
feelings i am sory but i wrote
what i thought now i will
draw to a close so good by till
a gan give my love to John
and lizzie if they are there
with much for yourself
[continued in right margin]
good by till agan write soon
John wante to take some of my tools
tell him he can take those that
he wants also tell him to write