Goldsboro North Carolina
		March28 1865

Dear Brother in law
  We take the greatest pleasure in answering your kind favor of Feb 12 1865  We are glad 
to hear of you beeing well but was Sorry to hear of finley beeing sick  I hope by this time 
he has got better  We have not wrote to you for a long time but you have doubtless heard 
of the protracted campaign through South and North Carolina which resulted in a ---- 
fight ------- the 14th was mostly all that had the hard fighting to do as we was on the 
extream left flank  We got cut up badly  the 1st and 2nd Div did get eat up farily near 
before renforcements got too us and the 1st and 3rd Brig got it the worst of any  the 
battle is cald Bentonville N.C.  Edward L Thromp  P S Carp was kiled Ded  John Vatch 
shot his finger offjust before going into action  We had 2 men captured or at least we had 
three --- one of them --- from them---  During the trip we did not lack for something to 
eat except onest and then the pontoon bridge washed away and cut off the 1st Div and 
we had to live scanty for seven days  We had a good deal of rain  onley 28 days rain on 
the trip  the roads was awfull bad  it had to bee caughtaroyed the most of the way  We 
are now in camp at a little station by the name of Goldsboro  I am not awar of how long 
we will stay hear  Sherman ishued an order in which he said we should have wrest and 
clothing and all we could eat while we staid hear  I think we will stay hear about one month 
and then I gess we will make a break for richmond and if Lee does not come out and meet 
us he will be fenced up  if we go their and I think we will bee apt to go in that vacinity  
Conscrips are comeing in filling up our ranks fast  our Regt has not got theirs yet  We are 
looking for them every day  We would both bee glad if we was at home with our wives but 
we will put our trust in god and await the apointed time  We hope to have the prayers of all 
our home --- friends  We have thus fare come out all rite and hope we will soon bee at home  
If the draft was run tell in our next who was drafted and who volunteered and -----
David I will soon close  We wish to bee remembered by Rachel and all the children  So no 
more but remain as ever
			Wm A. Merritt SR
				D.S. Morgan
	to M.J. Morgan  Dear Wife
Wm M Hoggatt wrote to me and he would like to sell me his farm  I want you to go and see
 it and see how you like it and see what he askes for it and if you like it I will bye it  It is time 
we was doeing something toward getting us a home for when the war is over  land will bee 
high and I expect that place of Wiles can bee had cheap and it is clost to Merritts farm and I 
want to liv clost him if god spears us both

S B Morgan