No 19 
   Co C  18th Regt Wis Vols 
   Kinston N.C. March 17th 1865 
         Dear Wife 
This evening I take my Seat in my  
tent to write you a Short letter and 
tell you that I am in tolerable good  
health and I hope this may find you 
well. I have not rec'd any letter from you 
Since I last wrote (on the 13th) but I will 
expect one the next mail; we had a 
Small mail last night but nothing for me 
We have mail here every two or three days; 
We are now in Kinston we moved across 
the River into Town night before last. 
The Rebels have left and gone towards 
Raleigh to see what Sherman is doing 
and we will probably follow on after 
them in a few days or as rapidly as we 
can repare the R.R. it will be repared  
from New Berne to this place in two or 
three days more; the Rebels had the R.R. 
in runing order from here to Goldsboro
when they left but I dont Know how bad 
they destroyed it as they fellback: they 
did not injure the road[crossed out] [s] near the Town 
The country begins to improve in appearance 
out this way; though there is but little 
captivating about it yet: the land is Generally 
Sandy and the most of the timber is pine 
and there is yet plenty of Swamps to raise 
all the frogs that a person needs: We have 
not had many news papers to read lately 
and we begin to get behind the news: 
You[crossed out] [r] wrote that you heard that Sherman 
had got defeated. The last we heard from 
him was a few days ago he was then near 
Raleigh So I dont think he is whiped 
mutch yet: The Rebels got considerably 
worsted in this fight here. Our loss was 
verry light in Killed and wounded from 
the fact that the rebs charged on us as 
we were behind works, the rebs left Eight 
hundred dead on the field: we had no 
way of ascertaining the number of their 
wounded as they got the most of them 
       away with them
the Rebels confess a loss of twenty two 
hundred: the Rebels however took more 
prisoners than we did they captured about 
a thousand of Mass & Connecticut 
troops on the first days fight and we 
captured five hundred from them 
John Dickson; (a brother to [illegible]) has rec'd 
a 2nd Lieut's Commission in the 46th 
Wis. and he is going to Start [illegible] 
State to morrow and I will send this 
letter by him to New Berne and let 
him mail it there: I will continue 
to Send letters to Detroit until you 
tell me to change directions: I had hoped 
to hear how you liked your visit but 
you did not Say anything about it 
until you wrote that you was tired 
of Michigan and wanted to Evacuate 
the State: but I Supose you are a little 
like in not wishing to depend too mutch 
on relations or stay too long with them. 
I like to go and see my relations occasionally 
verry well: yet I wish to be independent of them 
You will continue to Direct my 
letters to NewBerne as the mail must 
come that way: we will work our way 
on [crossed out] [to] into the interior of the State and 
Join Sherman about Goldsboro or 
Raleigh. The weather has been quite 
warm for a few days past until last 
night it turned colder and it is quite 
cool yet to night; but not enough; so 
as to freeze: I have been troubled for 
Several days with the Rheumatism 
and I may have to be left behind 
but I dont want to if I can travel 
well I will close for this time hoping 
to get another letter from you soon 
So Good Night 
  I Remain Yours as Ever 
 
Thos.J.Davis 
 
L.M.Davis