Letter to his parents from Roanoke Island, NC. He talks about having a cold and being forced to stay behind in the hospital even though the rest of his regiment moved out to New Bern, N.C.
Roanoke Island, March 16th, 1862
My Dear parents
I once more seat my self to write you a few lines to let you know how and where I am. I am on the Island yet and am well as I hope these few lines will find you. The expedition has left here for some place which we think is Newburn on the river. I was left here in the Hospital with a hard cold which I caught when I first came on the island the first night it rained like and the water run in to the tent and I waked up and found both my feet nearly covered with water this made me a little out of patience for I had to sit up and sleep the rest of the night I got over my cold before the expedition left here but the troops had gone an board and I had no chance to send word to Capt to send a boat for me and therefore I had to be left. But I shall be sent to the regiment with the rest of the boys that were left. We shall go as soon as they make a landing and get settled which I hope will be soon for it is dull music to stay in the hospital although it is very pleasant here on the island it is like the month of May at home plumb??? trees are in blossom the frogs are peeping the leaves on the trees begin to out. The weather is very warm the birds are singing which makes music to us there is almost every variety of birds here we had a thunder shower here yesterday afternoon it cleared off so that the sun set clear this morning I got up off my secesh bed and went out and it was the most beautiful morning I have seen in a long time. I eat my breakfast of cold rice but johny cakes and butter with a good relish (O by the way we have a woman cook which suits us pretty well) After breakfast one of the boys and my self thought we would take our canteen and walk out and see what we could find we went about a mile and found a (I suppose they call it a house) where we stooped and got our canteen filled with milk at 13 cts per quart The man at the so called house said that he was agoing to plant potatoes next week he said that they generally planted in February but the troops had destroyed the fences so that they were behind. There is one thing that that we have that I guess that you do not yet and that is S H A D at ten cts per price. There is an old slave just here with a basket of eggs to sell.
