Bowen20
Washington Co Longacre December 10th 1864
Dear husband I take the pleasure to rite to you
again to let you know how we are we are all
well at present but the baby is not rite
well she has the thrash and her chin
broke out in festers which makes her
more fretful than she ever was the
neighbours is all well your fathers
folks is all well and my fathers is all
well tel george that Mary and the chil
ren is all well she has nobody with
her at present but her family Augustus
and allen fineshed getting in her corn
this week and has gone home and Josephene
has gone home to weave some for her self
and Mary thinks she and ab will be
marred soon tel george oden that Martha
and the children is well and his Mother
and her famely she walked out to white
pain last sunday the last news we
had from Langley Alfred tuten rote
that he was sick he was so distressed
about leaving home that he couldent eat
aney thing and it made him sick
[page 2]
the yankees hasent bin here to bother
me yet I dont know how soon they
will they have reinforced at plymouth
I hear them shooting north west corse
to day it is thought they are trying
to get to welden I fear they will get
the railroad and if they do I dont knoe as
thar will be aney chance of hearing from
you at all I hope that wont be stoped while
we live for it is the most satisfaction of
aney thing to hear from you that you
are a faring well I want to hear from
you every week and I noe you want to
hear from me every week if you can do so
I rites every week and I want you to
as long as we can get paper and stamps
I am looking for a letter from you now
I receved the one you sent in care of
horace oden Iva Toppen carred it down
pungo and then it had to come back I learn
from a letter george Oden sent that you
were going to drill on the Iron clad
[page 3]
I expected you were on the Iron clad now
I heard John Horden was home and if
he can get home I dont see why you cant
I heard he had some letters but I dident
get nary one william went to town with
Rodah to see if the would let her carry
her baby in to burry it they wouldent
let her carry it in when it died and
she dident burry it only shallow inten
ding to carry it to town he sed the town was
full as they could stir and they have taken
a great many horses round town the
bufalow [1] calvery has got back calve haskut [2]
and his crowd they havent come aney
futher than John dardens they took
his horse and ned Airs ben tettons
John Johnsons old asa Johnson old
man tom Johnson and a great many more
they are going on a rade up the Cuntry it
is thought they will go from washington
and plymouth both they have got located
at wasington yet I dont hear of them doing
[page 4]
aney thing in beaufort at present you will
hear from thar being up the country before
you get this if you ever get it I am afraid
they will stop the way so you wont get it
they have some groceres to sell and say
they will have salt Wm got some chees
and soap and coffe it is most time for you
to get your furlow to come home christmas
i hope the yankees wont stop the way so you
cant get home If you do come come by the
way of washinton if thar is no alteration
in the times wm ses he dont think thar
will be much danger of thar comeing after
you unless some boddy was to reporte you
Rodah ses she talked with one of the men he sed
if you were all to come home you couldent
be treated as deserters all that has taken
the oath of elegans you must not show this to the men
I hope you will get home if you cant come
to stay I feel tierd to night I got Wm to help
us kill two hogs I thought that would last til
the others got fat I have killed one before
and I have bin on my feet all day I hope
the lord will bless us and cause us to meet
again keep the dates of your letters and
you can tel if I get them all I will rite the dates of them I get
A L B
- Buffalo = Unionist from coastal NC
- Calvin C. Haskett was a former neighbor who was serving in the 1st NC Union Vol. Regiment