NewBerne NC April—6^th 1862

 

                                                                                                Brother Elbridge

            I received your letter in due season with ten stamps enclosed I was d glad to hear from you I am well so that I am around but I have got a pretty bad Diarrhea now but I hope I shall get better in a few days. I have had a chance to see the Bullets fly about as much as I care about in the fight the Boys on right of Company where I was layed behind a log the bulls would spat into the old log our boys was out on picket a few days ago there was horse picket out ahead of them William Renolds saw a rebel chasing one of them in he was so near that he struck once when they got up william shot him dead we have had some reinforcements come since we have been here I dont know how long we shall stay here—it is pretty warm weather here Col Stone now is acting Brig General of our Brigade Col Osburn now commands the 24

 

            April—8—I did not have time finish my letter the other day so I will try to day I received your letter dated Mar 30—this morning and was glad to hear from you I understand that Mr Adams has sold his farm I think that it was the best thing he could with it John bought the horse what is John doing is he teaming why dont Father cary on his land him self does the Colt drive well now I should like to see her—I guess we shall be paid off in a few days we had ought had our pay the first of March I dont write any of the particulars about the / battle for I thought you could find it in the paper as near a description as I could give I saw quite a pile of dead horses there and several wounded ones we put the balls in there like hail stones I heard of Julia Stevens death we was on board the boat Sylvester & I slept in a bunk togeather I heard of it in the evening so after we went to bed I told him that Julia was dead—he said he thought when he heard from her that she would be dead he said he knew that he never should see her again by the letter that his folks wrote. he said that he should like to been there to the funeral well he said he could not help it so it was just as well he did not seem to take it very hard I dont think of anything more to write now you write as often as you can and write all the news your last letter was a good one Angenette writes to me about every week she says the snow has been pretty deep up there. I wrote to John since the battle but I dont know wheather he got it or not I have not heard from him since I will write again some day tell Lorinda that I will write to her when I get time

 

                                    give my best respects to all

                                                yours respectfully

 

                                    Albert L Howe

                                    Co I 24 reg Mass Vol

                                    Gen. Burnsides Division

                                                (via Fortress Monroe)

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