Newberne N. C.

       March 17^th 1862

 

My Dear Brother

                                    I received your affectionate letter dated Ma 1^st was glad to hear that you were in a recovering condition. In my last letter I mentioned that we were under marching orders at noon the same day we marched to the landing which is about a mile from here got on Board of a large transport Steamer and start for Hyde County NC where some of our Cavelry were out scouting and were attacted by a band of Gorrillies killing and wounding some and took some prisoners one of the prisoners who appeared to be a leading one was searched and they found Go^v Stanley of NC prottection in one Pocket and a Commission from Jeff B Davies in the other when they found it they tied his hands behind him and he by some way or other fell over Board and has not been seen since the rest of the prisoners were brought to Newberne

 

The Fleet concisted of the 101^st Reg^t 103 one[?] Gun Battrey one Co. of Cavelry and two Gun Boats the fleet was Comanded by Co^l Morris of the 101^st We got under full headway at five am at nine we went to Bead if you might call it so antisipating a good nights sleep while those preperations were going on among the Privets we will look at what the Oficers are doing a Cap^t is chosen to take charge of a small steam Boat with two Guns mounted as on hir he has his crue and gunneers chosen / and is now long side of waiting for orders and also a Company of good sharp Shooters and men whom he could trust in any spot the Ofisers are all in confusion each man wants the post of for his own men. Leut. Col. Armer who was once Cap^t of Co^m A has it almost settled when Col Morris rises and informes the nearest Cap^t that B was a small company but he would trust it where he would not some larger ones which settles the confab Co^m B is then ordered to fall in wer all fast asleep and it a did not seem very plesant for us however we ar soon all on board of the other Boat and on our way down the Neuce River and up Bose Bay[?]. the rest of the fleet stoped at a place called Snow Quarters[?] and went by land the rest of the way. went up an arm of the bay to destroy a Bridge across a stream where the Rebs had to cross to escape the piece of land they were on was small and this Bridge connected it with the mainland so when the Bridge was destroyed they could not get away

 

By twelve Oclock the next day the Bridge was destroyed and we were watching for them in the afternoon we saw some Cavelry on shore about a mile and a half sent two fourty lbs shells after them which made them disapear nothing more hapened that day of any account next day about ten we landed a small force and scoured the country for some distance around but did not see any thing returned to the Boat at about four PM with some chickens and other fowls /

 

            The next day was Tuesday we landed and scouted a good deal about a mile from the Boat we came to a house which appeared to be the ocupents appeared by the looks of the Nigers huts around it we entered and learned that our forces had been through that on Monday night the man showed a protection from Gov. Stanley which he supposed was enough to clear him but on questioning him we learned that he had never seen Stanley and he had never taken the Oath of elegience we took him along this was the case with a great many of them one old man who had ben Tarr and Feathered for his union princuples told us that a Mr Crudle who was Sherif of the Co. and a supporter of the Gorillies we tried to find him but could not and after a hard days travel we returned to the Boat all loaded with fowls of every description smoked Ham eggs flower Hoecakes and every thing else in the shape of eatables we reached the Boat about dark

 

            The next day which was Wednesday we again went ashore and met with a little better success we found Cruble and a great many others but they all had protection from Stanley housomever that did not clear them we took all we could find after that Dave I have often heard of the poor people in the Slave states but never emagined it till now there is not a famley in the north but what is comfortable when compaired with them /

 

            We reached Newberne on Saturday and found things all in an uproar larg peasces were being planted on our  recently made Fourts Artilery was being moved from one post to another Reg^ts of men were going through the Streets on a doubelquick and on my enquireing what it meant we learned that the place was atacted and it was true we could hear the distant booming of the Canon but it did not prove to a successful one for altho they sent word to Foster to get the Women and Children out of the city he onley sent out some renfrcements to the Reg^ts that were fighting and made some preperation close to the city and told them to come on but about the middle of the afternoon the fireing ceased and all has ben quiet ever since

 

                                                            Dave I have already you more then you will care about reading You wanted to know if I wrote to the Agitator I did write two but our second Leu^t has comenced writing and dont think I shall write any more I want you to keep it to yourself because it is a great wounder in the company who wrote them

 

I sent you some money did you get I remain y Brother         Will

 

                                                                        To Dave Cameron

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