Merry Hill N.C. March 7/63

 

Affectionate neice

                        As it has been some time since I have heard from you I will drop you a line which will inform you in part how I have been employed for the last few weeks. I have written once since I have received an answer but it may be on the road for it takes a good while for a letter to find us down here. Our company of the 17^th NC Regt left Weldon the 11^th of Feb & marched through Hertford Co & down in to Bertie Co near the Albemarle Sound between the Roanoak & Chowan Rivers where we took up camp in some old houses. We have a great deal of picket duty to do and only a small force to do it, but we fare tolerably well as there has never been any soldiers down here before. I hope that we will get more men down here before long / for the Yanks come up both rivers when ever they want & we can not hurt them as we have no artillery & they do not land but they may land & if they do not out number us to much we will try and be ready for them. There is a great deal of meat salt lard & such like brought on this side from counties that the Yanks have taken & it is sold a geat deal cheaper than it can be bought at any where else. it has to be brought at night when the enemy cant see them bringing it. There are a great many disloyal men down in this part there is a camp of them on the other side of the Chowan river of 75 or 100 and perhaps more they have strongly fortified themselves and have one cannon and a plenty of small arms. They trade with the Yanks & steal & get negroes to join them. the Yanks help defend them when ever any person molests them. last Saturday night our force crossed the Chowan for the purpose of getting to their / camp before day and getting between them and their fortifications before they found out we were about but we could not get there in time though we marched hard all night sometimes through mud and water 2 or 3 feet deep. When we found we could not get to surprise them that time we concealed them ourselves close to their camp in the woods aiming to stay there till night but just before night they found us out, and then directly they got the Yanks to throw shells at us from their gun boats none of the shells hit us but some passed directly over us. We took 5 white men & two negroes that we saw coming out from their camp though they say they do not belong to the camp but I guess they are as mean as those that do. The white men were sent to the Genl & the negroes were put in jail. These men in camp & all that are friends to them are called Buffalows. After they found us out / we started back to where we crossed the river and reached that point about day, and you may guess we were tiered and sleepy for we had not slept any for two nights & one day We would have attacked them in the day but our force was very small not more than 150 (for some were on picket at camp) and they were well fortified. Enough of this subject. I can not tell you how long we will stay down here but expect we will stay down here some time yet. I have had excellent health all of the time & enjoy myself as well as might be expected but would be glad if the war would end. I have herd a great deal of talk about it ending but fear it is a great way off We are now under the command of Gen D H Hill

 

Please write soon and direct your letter to Merry Hill Bertie Co N.C. Give my respects to your Pa I will close for the present hoping a speedy response I subscribe myself your Affectionate uncle Calvin

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