I do take the present opportunity to write you a few ^lines one more in my time that the God of Heavens have given me here on earth to sere him in the rite way. But I am affraid that I am not doing it as I aught.

I am well at the present time and hope those few lines may fine you injoying the sam gods blefsing

We had a fine little battle the 8th of this month you have herd of it before this time though I will tell you something about but not all of the particulars of it. They was 64 of our men Kiled wounded and taken prisoners 315 of the Yankees Kiled wounded and taken prisoners they was onley 16 of them taken prisoners the remainder kiled and wounded

We distroyed an amence [immense] sight of property for them we burnt evry ^thing that was worth spending any time with such as tents the commssary sutters etc. save nothing spiked a canon burnt the carages of them etc.

We are expecting an atta^[note] from them evry day. The reason that we don what we did do: Brown said that we was cwards and was afraid to make any attempt to do any thing to them: you Heard of them coming over to our side of the Bay and burning the Dry Dock and a small sail boat and we did not do any thing much to them (onley ^kiled four of them and wounded 14) this is one reason that we don what we did do to show then that we was not afrai of no such scoundrels as they are and more than that we dar them to make any further attemp to

do any thing to our side like they had don. The reason theat we do not have a cononadeing^[note] her is President Davis do not want the property distroyed as long as it can be helpe for the Navy's mashen-ery is worth a great amount of money besides the other property it has been toled me by responsable men that they calculation of the property that would be distroyed on this side would be over $30,000,000 Three Hondred Milions of Dollars. that is enough to told back I think. what do you think

Robbert I have though here of late of going to N.C. when my time is out to try to make up a company for myself: if you think they would be any chance for me I wish you would let me know soon I am prety well driled both from squad company Battalion Scrumageing^[note] and

Briggade Drills also in the Manuel of Arms they are none in our Company that can beat me I am pretty surtain of that and can stand as good on exanination as any of our Lieutenants this is what makes me want to be a Capt of a Company mysef.

Magg this property that was willed to me by my Mother and Father I can tell you that it my wishes that you will get it from Step Mother and take it to your own house and take care of it for me unto further orders if you can not take all to your own home I think probily I can take the bead to mifs tell stepmother to let you take them as it is my will and disiers that you should keep them until I call for them or unto you die if I do not call for them before death. A few words from hand to eye to stepmother : Mother I wis you would let sister Magg have the property that my Mother and Father willed me at their death I told Sis-ter Magg before I left N.C. that if Father was to die and will me anything before I went back for her to take what was willed me and take care of

unto I called for it I received a letter from her sometime ago and she told me that she had not got them yet. Please let her have them write soon and let me know Mother write to me soon