My Dear father I would have wrote you sooner but wee can not get any paper hear that is fit to write on and if I had plenty wee have bin on Picket 3 weeks and have not had the time to write and wee ar going to start to Schotland Neck on Ronoak River in the morning and I want you to write as soon as you can I will further provide to tell you what [illeg] was come when on picket wee could see them all most any time wee would look for them wee had no hard battle wee only went as ca scurmeshers wee dismounted 9 of our cavaldry Co^s and fiured on them and they evacuated a little town 12 miles this side of Newborn and wee went next day and found

Kanteens Belts habersacks and other thing too numerous to menchon we got no yankees the 2. N. C. tuck 5. prisners and killed 4 men our loss was one killed and 3 wouded wee lost non in our Reg^t Dear father I received a letter from your kind hand last [illeg] I was varry sorrow to hear that ant Jane was ded now pore little little children I am so sorrow for them I know how they feel I am sorrow to my varry hart I hope she is gone home pleas write some more when you have time and bee shure to say somthing about my lonsom little cosins I fear you cannot read this letter it is don in a hurry pleas look over it this time
     time will not low mee to write any more wee ar all well my mess sends you all their Resects