This is secesh paper* I don't know as you can read it
Beach Grove July 25th /63 Dear Mother
the 9th it got here last night
I suppose you think it is strange
that you have not heard from
me for a spell back we have had
a great time out on the raid
I wrote a letter yesterday to pa
all about it we had a pretty hard
time of it we was gone pretty near
six days we were in the march all
the time night and day we went
about a hundred and fifty miles
from newbern we took three
days rations with us when that
was gone we had forage along as
we went in the towns we went
we got all we wanted to eat and
drink the boys got all the tobacco
they could carry and lots of wine
most all the places keep lots of
it and lots of corn whiskey
I had about twenty five dollars
worth of stuff I had about eight
yds of heavy blue silk I had a lot
of silk thred we broke into a
odfellows lodge I got a nice sash
worth about $10 dollars and some
other things but that night I
lost them all off from my saddle
I might of had a hundred dolls
worth of stuff if I had any place
to carry it some of the boys
that went into the towns first
got a considerable money and jewelry
there were some of the 3d boys
broke open a safe and found
about two thousand dollars in
silver and gold that is what
pays we lost a good many horses
on the march there were lots
of them dropt down dead
the first day mine stood
it all through he is as good a
horse as there is in this regiment
I think a good eel of him / when
we were marching back we took all
the horses and mules that we
could find we got about three 100
in all and we had a nigger to
each mule and horse we had
some fun mixed with the hard
times I got asleep several times
on my horse there was about
twenty of us out on scout I
got asleep and my horse got out
of the ranks and went out in a
field of grass he lay down and
went to eating and I on his
back asleep there was not a great
many but what did get asleep
on the march I can stand bullets
pretty well but when the shells
come whyning by it made me
prick up my ears some some
of the men was pretty scared
we will have a few days rest now
we have got infantry to stand guard
for us our orderly seargent was
wounded pretty badly there is 6
men missing from our com they are
either killed or taken prisoners we
got off pretty well Co A has lost 21
men and a good many wounded
I sent a couple of rebble papers yesterday
and inside of them there was a pair
of secesh ---ts you will see the 7
stars on the back of them I had
got a lot of silk thread I will put
some of it in this letter I hear that
they are having great times in
new york now we wont probably go
out on another raid in quite a while
we have captured and destroyed about
5 million dollars of stuff you wanted
to know Jim and nelse are all well
I am well and feel first rate. I hope
this will find you the same so good
by from your affectionate son
*The stationery has an embossing at the upper left which appears to be a shield with a double-headed eagle. There is a "W" and an "M" above the eagle. It must be to this embossing which he refers.
woosterk@cortland.edu
Copyright © Kenneth Jennings Wooster
All rights are reserved.
Last Modified: 23 March 1997; 23 December 2002.
