Camp Vance Dec 19^th 1861

Carolina City N.C. 26^th Regt NC Vol Co. H

           

Miss Sarah B Deaton

                                                Dear sister I take my pen in hand to pen you a few words I am on guard to day and have not time write much but I have not much important news to write this time only I am well at present and hope this may reach and find you and all the rest enjoying the same blessing M^r Tyson from carthage is down here and will leave in the morning for home and I thought it proper to write a few lines home

 

                        Our co. are in tolerable good health at present We have only one case that is serious Mr R. P. Willcox has the Typhoid Fever but I think he is mending

 

                                    Well I have not much news to write this time one day this week the blockade seized a schooner that attempted to come into this Harbour and we supose robed it of its load and then let it go. the next night havey firing was heard by us in the vicinity of Macon which is 8 miles from this place it was between a lincoln blockade and a british man of war but we have not heard any thing of the result as yet. we heard heavy firing in the direction of Newbern this morning continueing about 3 hours and then seased we have not heard of the meaning of the shooting 

 

            it is reported in to days news that Lord Lyons of England has demanded of lincoln a surrender of our ministers to Eng. Messrs Mason and Slidell and also ample apologies for the insult offerd to the British Flag by the Federal navy I hope there will soon be a change for the better.

 

                                    Well Sarah I must soon close this hastly letter I have wrote home once since I received any answer from them. I take pleasure in the chance to send you a stran of shells by M^r Tyson such shels as are in great plenty on the coast here but they sell from fifty to sixty cents per strann if I had a small box I would send home a variety of shells but as I have no box I must be excused

                                   

I am your affectionate Brother Noah Deaton

                                                                                                                       

S. B. Deaton

 

            Dear father I have not time to write to you now but I will write before long I supose salt is from $20 to $30 per sack up there it is four Dollars per bushel down here there is many of the sitizens at work at salt and I think the price will soon come down. if I could see any safe chance I would buy some and send it home

 

I must close please write soon. May the God of heaven bless you all is my prayer

                                                                                   

I remain affectionate to you all

Noah Deaton

SOURCES