we got out on the ground outside the lighthouse above the Roanoke Island, & today about 12 o'clock a tug & the Massasoit came & took us off. One of our boats brought Stitser, Company E who had been wounded & left, who told us that about 30 of their wounded & stragglers had left the battlefield at 8 o'clock next morning & came through – that McCormick had come through with them, but had gone on to some other boat. Buskirk & Lanig were unable to move. As we have nothing to do but fight and march this thing over and over again, the sound of being rough & raining fiercely, we have anchored at dark. I think that I will fill up the incidents of the time which I have omitted. We landed in a corn field near Elizabeth City. Some one remarked that was always our luck, but it was not always our luck to have as bright and sunny a day as we have now. The man that lived here had a great number of beehives. They were all robbed when we came back. The retreat could not but be disorderly to some extent, & stragglers had a fair opportunity to leave & plunder. At one place along the road a woman came out & waved a US flag, each company as it came up cheered her. Peter Koser our color corporal, was sick, and Chas Merrill took his place. He stuck to the colors from our landing until we came back to it. I often saw him stagger with fatigue but he stuck to it - through thick and thin - mud & mire - oh it was delightful to me to see him - cool and collected, as if he were walking in the bar. While the other boys were talking of how much they had fired, he quietly remarked to me "Captain I considered it my duty not to fire at all," I told him that was right. He showed his courage & coolness and not firing as the color guard never fire - but must be always loaded as I felt the greatest itching to pick up a rifle & had there not been the most stringent order against officers using any arms, I'm afraid I would have run at it. Beaver told me he had the same feeling, & could hardly refrain from relieving some of the dead of their cartridge box & rifle. Lt Shorkley, who is acting adjutant displayed the most consummate skill & courage in conducting the regiment into their place, and afterwards he took the 21 Mass into their position. Our men praise Lt Beaver very much. He had the company in, & I arrived just before the firing commenced: just in time, I was most heartily glad of it, as I was in the battle and in the charge & only fainted when the enemy had fled.
I send this acct to you. You must keep it strictly confidential. Gen Reno has sent the flag of truce requesting the rebels to release on parole our wounded, as that was his way we did at New Berne, & it will no doubt be done. I have been doubting the propriety of the letter to Warden, I wish you wouldn't publish it unless the account is published in the Tribune. I am afraid that it is not right. He might publish the list of killed & wounded & leave the rest until he sees whether other papers are published. I don't wish to be compromised. McCormick our wounded corporal got safe to camp.