Newbern, March 17^th 1862.

 

Dear Parents,

                        It is six months today since I enlisted.

 

March 22^nd.

                        I dated this to send with my first but not having time to finish it I left it to send by my next. We kept our fire for quite a length of time but after a time we saw the stars and stripes floating on the battery and we ceased our fire, and shortly march toward the battery. this battery is an extensive earth work some two miles or more in length with guns mounted. in fact a very strong position. After we had passed through the battery, we came to a large encampment. we saw shelters made of pine boughs where the reinforcements that came the day before spent the night. here we halted and refreshed ourselves eat some salt junk and and hard bread, some of the men searched the tents and found trophies. / In the engagement we had three wounded, two of them mortally, Sergt Joseph A Lombard mortally wound in the head the ball all passed through his eye and lodged in his head corperel George Layton brother of John Layton at Greenwich wound in the side, very severe, but he is still alive, hope he will recover. private James Mac Donald wound in the head ball entered his head just by his ear, and lodged in the back part of his head passing below his brains, he lived until day before yesterday when he died. he was insensible all the while. We were not in a position on the field to see any but our own men. we were directly in front of the battery but we kept up such a rattling that they couldn't get a chance. they would load their pieces and put them over breast work and pull them off. thay said, as sure as any man raised his head, he was a dead man. After we had refreshed ourselves somewhat we resumed our march toward Newbern. there were several water batteries along the shore of the river which we did not see. then they had the river blockaded several vessels sunk / and spikes with iron points to run into the vessels and sink them but our Yankee sailors were to much for the southern sharppies and our gunboats sailed up the river. As for us we followed down the railroad to the bridge which they had set on fire and was still burning then turned off into a field and built some fires and tried to rest. the city was now burning and such a black smoke I never saw. soon they began to cross over the river, the first Brigade, we crossed over just at night and marched out of the city toward the rebel camp here we turned in for the night. Some of the fellows went to the city the next day and obtained articles of value Lieu Close got a nice gold watch which he has sent home. W^m Rutherford got some nice things, among others a set of scales which I sent to the Dr. for him. I have some thing which he wants mother to have. the most I got was about fifty sheets of music which I shall send home by express as soon as I can William has some more things which he wants to send home. 

 

Col Drake and our chaplain are going home by the New Brunswick. Yesterday I was out on picket it is very lazy work nothing to do. I have written part of this letter on secesh paper to let you see something secesh. When we took this place we got a large amount of shelled corn, a large quantity of cotton, several hundred barrels of rezin and rezin oil, besides all the other property taken. I believe there were near on hundred pieces of artillery taken.

 

The peach and plum trees are all in blossom here. I have pick a few flowers which perhaps will please Roxa if no one else.

 

            I will close this now but cant tell when it will go.

                                                                       

Your aff son

W. L. Savage

 

The Jump up Johny I got at Roanoke about a month ago. the others I got on picket.

                                                                                   

The rose came from the city

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