Letter, Granville W. Belcher to Washington Dickinson; 17 March 1862

              March the 17.62 Fort Dillard, Gaits County, NC Dear Wash,
I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that all the Company wants you to come back soon as possible. The adjutant is going to drill us in the skermish drill til we are perfect in that. I had rather you would come before we get into fight. The boys think that if Lieuttenant Hicks has to gowe into fight, he will be somewhare else & they have no eyedier (idea) of going into the battlefield under him. You must come back buy Richmond and buy some paper & envellops & postage stamps. Half the Company told to me to write yoy word to bring about two reams of paper & envellops & postage stamps according if you can. You may bring eight or ten lb of soon if you please. Wash you can give Caroline the paper & envellops that is in your truck if she wants it. I will give a little seetch. The Yankeys has taken Newborn, NC. They tuck seven hundred prisoners and killed some but I do not kow how many. I herd this morning that South Carliner and North Carliner and Gorgia had all three gonn back into the uneion. The Yankeys started that you know. They are allways telling lies. They think they will get some more men to desert from South Carliner. I rckon that is falce reports. All other that the Yankeys tells. It is