Newbern N C
Dear Wife July 29th
i Received a Letter
from you yesterday dated the
20th and i was glad to here from
you i suppose that Creasey and mur
rey have got home By this time
and you have got what i Sent yes
i did hate to have my general go
But he has Left a good man
with [us?] gen Foster he Looks out
for the men But i Excpect that we
Shall all have to go yet But
we Cant tell i hope that the
men will Enlist without drafting
i See that Gen Halleck has come
to the James River that is good for
i think that McClennan has
had to much to do for one man
mind i have given up writeing
to Coffin it is Rather Bad
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about Change i hope that it want
Last Long i wish i Could have
Sent more monny But i had to
Pay away a good deal for washi
ng and other nick nacks i give
two dollers for the Pitcture and
two dollers for the fans them
that talk So much about our
Generals Better Come out and
do there Share of fighting i
hope to god that they will
Be the first ones to Be draft
ted they Can talk and thats
all it is a good Plan to Let
the Blacks do the work in
the Sun it Saves the Soldiers
a great deal of Sickness thats
So oh i Long to See the Babys
Pitcture we had an Exciting time
out here Last Satturday i tell
you Lately our Regt has Been
annoyed By the infernall
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Secesh up in the South east Part
of the City what is Caled the third
dristict they have Shts Shot
at our men while on gaurd
from houses well the Col
and Gen Foster have had Spys
on the Look out for them and
Last Friday night a man
fired a Shot at the Sentry
on the Corner of Pollock St
So have found out the Place the
next moring the regt was formed
and the Sappers and miners
armed with axes we Started
with the Band of music for
the Place when we got ther
there was a Large Crowd of
nigers and other ones ther So
gen Foster Put on a Stronggard
and then he gave the order to go
in and in we went and tare
down an Large dwelling
house and all the out houses
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Barn and fences all the
Corn feilds Left nothing
Standing i tell you it was
great time but the Best of
all is we have got the
vilian and Some others
to and he will Be Shot
or Hung Before Long
after we had got a [Piled?]
down the Band Struck
up yankee doodle and
the Star Spangled
Banner i tell you
thats the way to do
it and gen Foster
is a another Ben Butler
i will now Close
give my Love to all
from husband
Joseph Barlow

Hope this will find [1]
you all well