Camp Near Petersburg Va.

Nov. 16^th 1862

C^o H 26^th Reg^t N.C.T.

 

Miss Sarah J.

 

Much esteemed friend I take pleasure in answering your kind letter that came to hand some days ago while we were on a march. we have marched a great deal in the last 20 days in the eastern part of N.C. mostly in the folowing counties / Edgecomb, Martyn & Beaufort counties the yankees advanced in force upon 5 cos. of our Regt at Old ford mills near Washington N.C. and we fell back towards Williamston to Rawls Mills and their joined the rest of our Regt and made ready to give the invanders what they diserved they attaced us a little before dark the fight lasted about 1½ hours the yankees loss is about 100 while ours is 4 killed & 10 or 12 wounded /

 

we took the weather all as it came on last Friday week snow fell to the debth of 5 or 6 inches and I tell you it was very unpleasant to take it all without shelter but such is the spirit of our troops I never saw them more cheerful. we reached our old camp last Friday evening near Petersburg but how long we will stay I cannot tell.

 

my health is very good and there is but few of / our co. sick Mr W. J. M^cNeill is in the hospital I have not herd from him in 2 weeks. I must bring this uninteresting and badly writen letter to a close please write soon

 

your friend

Noah Deaton

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