Letter from Ebert Smith to his sister Hannah Thacher, May 24, 1863.
Creator
Smith, Ebert
Subject
Lackawanna County (Pa.)--History;United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Description
Description of a small military event in which Ebert was involved.
Date.Digital
2011-07-11
Date.Original
1863-05-24
Rights
Item is in the public domain.
Publisher
Scranton Public Library
Physical Dimensions
20 x 24.4 cm
Coverage.Temporal
1860-1869
Type
Text
Source
Anthracite Heritage Museum
Transcript
May 24, 1863 Camp Mansfield May 24th 63 Dear Sister I should have writen to you before if I could our Company and Company C has been out six days on a scout up in North Carolina we went in search of a couple of male boats that was captured by a band of Gurrillas We took the Cars at deep Creak Station and went to Norfolk thare we got a board of a steam boat our Crew numnered over one hundred men with one Piese of artilery we started up the Elizabath River about nine A.M. and thare into the Albermare and Chesapeak Canall and at dark we were anchored in the Curituck Sound The next morning we crosed the Sound and ran into the Currituck Canall and thare was whare the Boats was Captined we discovered nothing and ran up to the Bridge and stoped the Ofisers suceeded in finding out a rich lady Storekeeper who had fed the Gurrillas over the nite and aided them in Capturing their prey her Storehouse was filed with all sorts and kinds. The Souldiers amediately went up and comenced to steel every thing that they could get hold of I did not do as well as the most of the boys I have not got hardened enough yet to go into any ones store and take things in that way yet if it is a rebel but I got a good hat and some other things that the rest could not cary. The Ofisers then came and the steeling stoped. They then took an inventory of the rest and we brout what the boat would cary, fourteen boxes of tobacco and other things acording we then started on out of the Canall and ran into the Forth River from thare we ran in to indian Creak down to whare it was blockaded and stoped over nite. The next morning twenty five of ous got in small boats and made out to get down to the landing Thare we found a small boat worth three thousand dollars We went on shore and got a lot of nigers and sat them to opening the blockade so we could get the rebel boat out sow we could tug her in to Norfolk We scouted the Country all day but did not sea but one armed man we returned to the steamer and the next day at nine oclock we had the two boats hitched together and started again. We ran back into the river and thare they anchored the Captured Boat and our Company was left to Guarde it and the rest started for Elizbeth Citty They were gon until the next day noon and returned all rite we then started for Norfolk and ran back to the sound and stayed over nite in the morning we started again and reached Norfolk at three oclock we got to Deap creak after sundown and were escorted into Camp by the bank wich aded new strength and vigor to our tired limbs and had all of the men a long no more at present E Smith to H Thacher
