Letter written by J. H. Stevens from Camp 9 New York H Artillery to his friend Weaves on March 27, 1865 -- Correspondence

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PAGE IMAGEMarch the 17 / 65
Camp 9 NY H Artillery (9th New York H. Artillery)Friend Reaves (Reaves)

yours of the eighteenth was
thankfully received this morning
and found me in fort fisher (Fort Fisher, North Carolina)
war (where) I hav (have)  bin (been) since friday
night with gun in hand and
the balls and shell (shel) a flung
like the devel (devil) all day a saturday
but we gave them hell til
dark ther (there) was nothing but
picket firing yesterday but
the ball opend (opened) this morning
at four o clock and kep (kept) up til
non (noon) and the rebs came out with
a flag of truse (truce) but I did not
learn what for, but we
are a laing (laying)  stil (still) for an hour
so I though I woud (would)  rite (write) to
you we took a god (good) many prisiners (prisoners)
a saturday but you have sen (seen)
the accunt (account) of it in the paper
by this time we have thair (their)

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PAGE IMAGE railroad or four miles of it
so their uplies (supplies) is cut of (off) from
their army and richmond (Richmond, Virginia) must
fall rite (right) as oftain (often) as you can
for I cant rite (write) much this
time five monts (months) more and
then I can shun the jack
plane for you again if dod (god)
spars (spares) my life and I dont
los (lose) a leg or arm

Yours J H Stevens (Stevens, J.H.)
PS thes (these) verses is for ell (Ell)
and I want her to get
well so she cansing them
for me when I get home

if Ed (Ed) gets dangerous rite (write)
and let me now (know) so I
can fetch my gun home
rite (write) soon yours
excuse hast (haste) and mistakes in
hering ([hearing?]) time

J H Stevens (Stevens, J.H.)