Nere Newbern Camp Tad Pol febuary 4th 1862
Deare Mother I seet my self with grate
Plesur to drope you a few lines to in form
you that I am well at this Time but I ant
bin well for the last da an nite I stode gard
nite beefore last an it give me a hurten in
my brest an my head an I coft all day
an nite but I went to the doc[?]er an got some
medisen an it hope me I hope when thais
few lines Comes to hand They may find you
all injoying all the blessing that Can bee stod
on woman kind I beegant to git out of hart
to think that I was not a gont to git a letter
I Received your kind an [????] afecton
letter to day the 4 of febuary 1862 an it give me
mutch sadisfaction to here from you all
that you was all well. Dear mother give my
Respects to all of the famley an to all of my
friends an I want you to Rite to me as
soon as you git this letter do not fail to
Rite I want you to Rite to me wonse a weak
Deare mother I will tell you what I have bin
doing I have bin floring the gard tent to day
an I have bin at work on the fort I work
Thare fore days an they work us day an nite
but they have quit it now they dont
work us so hard but Solgers sees hardes
time I shore you I have sen hardes time
[page 2]
we are too miles bee loe Newbern on the
neuse River Clost to three fortes one is in
sit an the other is in a bout a half a mile
an the other is a bout too miles from us that
is the won that we have bin at work on
I think that the yankees Cant git it I think
if they come here that we can whip them
I think that we will stay here till spring
an then we will leave here an goe to Cantuck
or tenisee The officers has Rased a pation to
leave here this plase is in a vary low
plase an the water is bad an we have to
tote it a good pese a bout a half mile[?]
you stated that you wated to now ho
my messmates was I will tell you all of [1]
them will Daner [?] Cosin Henry Cosin
S G T[???]is David Cook John C Cook S K
holder J V benfeel Jol benfield
luther penly bill brint Jesy brown
J D Councill C h Davis an I am at the
head of the mess an I lik them all vary well
so far an they all like me so far an if they
dont mind I will make them leave my
mess an the officers like me vary well so
far as I now I like them so far as I have
had them they all seem vary kind to
ward me an I will try to please them
Just as long as I can I ant a gont to
[page 3]
Contrary to them an the Companey all
like [m?] I quit they boys that I had
bin a sleepin with an went to bill taners
tent they ant onley five of us sleeps in
it we have plenty to eat I drad ennuf
to do us seven days to day Pork an rise an
sugur an Pees an molases an soap I ant
got time Rite mutch

Deare wife I will drope you afew
lines you said somthing about clothing
I have got as mutch here as I want
I wosch I had my Covalid at home fore
I have got as mutch as I can tote an fi
Can git any chance I will send it home I have
got as mutch as I wat at this time I want to
now whather you have got that likness or not
an ten dolars or not an whather Pa Caried my
Coats home or not I wat you tell me what
you have herd sinc I left home my Capton
ant hung me yet I think som of the boys
will Com home with sore heads at the end of my
time Rite to me wons a weak an I will
do the same I will Rite in about 3 days agan
Direct your letter to the Same plase the same
way I am vary well sades fide at this time
Excuse all bad Riten an Remaines your affecton husban
spelling J S Councill until Death