Dear Parents,

I received your letter yesterday.  I was very glad to hear from you all and was glad to know that you are all well.  I am in first rate health.

We are still at Camp Andrews, about three-quarters of a mile southeast of Newbern.  Reinforcements are arriving every day.  We shall have quite an army bye and bye.  There have been rumors of an attack and we have expected one since the battle.  I think they are too afraid of old Burnside and his army to make one without a great superiority of men but they imagine that he has 40,000 men. He had but thirteen regiments in the battle and they did not average 800 men a piece.  After the battle, there was more than one thousand unfit for duty; about 500 killed and wounded and as many more were taken sick soon after from the exposure.   It was a terrible time the day and night before the battle.

After marching ten miles in a drenching rain through mud and water with our overcoats on and our blankets strapped to our backs, we sweated like buckets.  Our clothes were very heavy being wet through.  We lay down in the woods and built large fires and got warm.  I lay down with my feet to the fire, with my blankets over me, and had a good night’s sleep. In the morning my blankets were all wet through.  I was rather stiff but did not take cold.  A good many’s health was ruined by the exposure.

After the battle, our company had to go on guard before we had anything to eat.  I did not have anything to eat until 10 o’clock and then we had some flap jacks and molasses sugar.  After that, we had to be on guard every other day and do a great deal of work.  We had our dead and the Rebels and 70 horses to bury, the guns and ammunition to gather up and take care of.

Since we came to this camp and got cleaned up, we have had a pretty easy time.  Our pickets have been relieved by the 103rd New York.  I went on picket once.

I went up to Newbern the other day.  It is one of the prettiest places I ever saw.  The houses are some wood and some brick.  They are middle-sized, nice handsome houses, with pretty yards all full of flowers in full bloom. There is no pavement or brick sidewalks.  The city is full of trees.  Most every house has a large yard in front.  The grass is green and everything looks pleasant.  The houses are most all deserted but the people have most returned.  The Neuse River runs on one side of the city and the Trent on the other.  It empties into the Neuse.  Here it is larger than the French River.

Burnside is building entrenchments from one side of the river to the other so that Newbern will be surrounded.  The gunboats are on two sides and a battery of more than one hundred guns are on the other.  Our regiment, two Maryland and nine New Jersey are on the eastern side of the Trent.  The rest are on the other side of the city.  There is several regiments near Beaufort.   They have drove in the enemies’ pickets.  Fort Macon has not surrendered and it is thought that they will have a pretty hard battle.  There is a report that it is to be attacked today.  They will have a pretty wet day for it if they do.

There is another river about the size of the French that runs into the Trent about three miles from its mouth.  Its source is from the east.  It is expected that the Rebels will attack us first, if they do at all.  They would have to cross the Trent miles above and then cross this to get to us.  There is pickets on the main road and there is scouts go out every night along the river.

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Pvt. Henry Brown, Newbern, April 9, 1862

The niggers came and told that the Rebel cavalry had crossed the river and burned a barn full of grain.  They said there was about fifty head.  Our company was sent to see.  We marched out to our pickets and found all quiet.  There we returned and another company went out and scoured the woods all over but found no sign of any.  Since then we have had scouts out every night.  I was out Saturday night with eight others.  We scattered along the bank and lay down in the brush and lay there till morning but heard nothing.

We drill but very little here but we have a splendid ground.  The turnpike bridge was not burned by the Rebels.   There is two barrels of resin on it ready to set on fire if the Rebels approach.  It is guarded by the 11th Connecticut boys.  We do not fear an attack from the Rebels.  We would like no better fun for about 50,000 to attack us and we have not 20,000.  I think we shall soon move on to Goldsborough.  I cannot tell if our regiment will go or not.  Some will have to stay here.  The 25th Massachusetts took no part in the battle and they are quartered in the city and patrol while we are out here and can scarcely get outside the camp.  Our officers have always been mean about that.  When we fight we want to see what we have took.

I am glad you sent the letter stamps.  I will write pretty often now I had no paper or envelopes with me after the battle but the secesh envelopes would not stick so I put on wafers.  I have not got any papers.  I think it must have been because others have been sent to Annapolis because others have them come in every mail.

Goodbye for this time.  My love to you all,

Henry Brown

Dear Sister Electa,

I received your letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you and to know you are as well as usual.  I hope you will get well this summer.  I will send you some money to buy medicine with when I get paid off.  We signed the payroll yesterday and were to get paid today but it rains so hard I don’t think we shall.

The report came that Yorktown was taken with 5000 prisoners.  I hope it is true.  It is the sentiment of all that the war will be over soon and that we shall be at home by the fourth of July.  I hope we will.  If you get any pictorial papers you will see a great many scenes that I was in but you cannot tell anything by them.  I cannot recognize scarcely a scene.  They are so exaggerated.

You wanted me to send you a nigger girl.  I could get plenty very easy but to get them there would be the rub.  I think a young darkey would be the best because he could walk.  There are some right smart niggers around here, I reckon.

I have not much more room to write. My fingers are stiff; it is so cold.  Goodbye.