Goldsboro NC Sept the 12 1863

 

Miss Sarah J. M^cDonald

 

My Deare cousin

it is with grate sattifaction that I seat myself this morning to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well and enjoying good health at the present time hoping when these few lines will ritch your home that thay may find you enjoying the same health I have no nuse of importence to communicate to you at this time onley we are in camp at Goldsboro yeat we is farring very good at this time we dont have to march eney these times like we did some time ago I receivd your letter the outher day when Lieut Ray got back you must excuse me for not wrightting to you befor know D. M. Currie is a going home to stay 6 or 8 weaks O cousin [?] com to take his plase for that time we have got very hot weather at this time we gets to go to church ever night in the weak and on Sunday also theare is a quartley meating to be at the metheds church to morrow he sayes he do hope we all will attend I think I will go if the lord is willing theare goes good meney of the soldiers to church we all likes to attend to church we have very nise singing when we can get the bookes. I wold like to be at home a while to go to school to you I think I cold enjoy myself very well if I cold heare you talk to the boyes you ought to ceep Richard Rone down and not let him get too big if he gets unruley send him to the army we will straten him 

 

Well it is true thay have got very ruf time out at Charleston with the yankes thay have to lie under the bombardment of the yankes thay have had offul times out theare sence thay commenced to be a round the town thay think thay will get the town yeat But thay will get misstake I am in hopes some think thay will whipt us But I dont think thay will. we have got too meney union men among us to do well thay will betray us theare is great meney more about us when we is close to the enemy Thay will slip around us and go to the yankes and let them know how our lines is plased and wheare thay is These union meatings thay is a holding all through the state most of them I think is union people dont care how the ware will go but would some rather the yankes wold whipt us all the time It is very hard to have to stay in the ware so long But rather than to give upt to the yankes now on eney conditions I wold rather stay in the ware all my life time then after going so far to give it upt I had rather die in defence of my country than to quit it as it is now

 

Why dont cousin DT come to see us while we is so near home he might come down and spend a few dayes with us I wold be mightey glad to see him and talk with him. Tell cousin Mary A I do wish her mutch joy and do hop she may get a long well But I dont like that she did not ask me to her wedding Tell her I am a going to get marrid when we will whipt the yankes and she is old folkes now. you must excus bad writing and speling writ swone your cousin H M M^cDonald

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