Letter to father

Creator:

Wilson, Nathaniel C. (Nathaniel Claiborne), 1839-1863

Scope and content:

Written from "Camp near Greenville," Virginia. Letter regards troop movements and personal news.

Language:

English

Other descriptive data:

Camp Near Greenville
Saturday 14 march '63

My Dear Papa
Our brigade arrived at this place this morning, a distance of twenty five miles from Tarboro. Sunday morning 15th March - We move this morning in the direction of the Sounds. The country that we are passing through is the greatest corn and hog country that I have ever been in. In fact everything seems plenty except flour. Thursday 19th March - We have traveled about forty miles and reached a little place called Plymouth on the Roanoke river just where it empties into the Sound. We are some distance inside the enemies lines [drove in] their pickets soon this morning I don't think we take the town though we might do it with ease as they have but a small force. Their gun boats would prevent our holding it long and then there is nothing to gain by taking. We send out this evening our wagons with a large escort about 30 miles below this [?] Terrill we are now in Washington. Sunday morning March 22 - our wagons arrived this morning with a large quantity of corn and some forty or fifty thousand pounds of bacon. Our orders now are to march back in the direction of Greenville. We get plenty of Roanoke River shad here at 50 cts. a piece, eggs 10 cts a dozen, sweet potatoes $1.00 per [lb?], lard 20 cts. per lb, bacon from 15 to 25 cts per lb and butter about the same, so you see we may live well, but back about Greenville things are little higher. The yankees have destroyed a great deal of property in this country, most of the houses of loyal citizens have been burned or robbed of furniture.

Wednesday March 25th- We are now back at Greenville, where we will move to next I know not - but I think it more than probable we will be ordered to Kinstown or Goldsborough. We never hear any news down in this country, the people are generally very ignorant, you will find families owning large numbers of slaves not able to write their names. The females are generally very ugly and all of them use snuff, in other words they are guilty of the filthy practice of dipping. We have none of our baggage with us. I haven't changed my underclothing for three weeks. Henry is quite unwell. I wish I had an opportunity of sending him home. George my horse has been valued by the Qr. Master at $600.00 so if I lose him I will only lose $25.00. My love to [Fred and Mattie]. Direct to Garnett's Brigade, D. H. Hill's Division, N. C.

Subjects:

Soldiers -- Confederate States of America -- Correspondence

Names:

Wilson, Nathaniel C. (Nathaniel Claiborne), 1839-1863

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