Camargo Mexico May 26^th, 1847

Dear Brother and Sister,

 I now for the first

time take my pen in hand to write to you.

I am in moderate health at present and

I hope these lines will find you all well

I left Carolina  the 25^th of February and had

a rough passage at sea, it being my first

voyage.  It went pretty hard with me but

I succeeded in reaching Brazos St Jago. the 14th

of March.  Brazos is a poor, low, sandy island

in Texas, and is destitute of any kind of

vegetation whatever.  We marched from there

to the mouth of the Rio Grand about 9 miles,

and there we got on board of a steamboat

and came up to Matamoras and encamped

in the place for a week.  As we had

an opportunity of going to the cathedral of

mornings, some of the North Carolina boys was

much pleased at the golden Jesus.  Matamoras [is]

a beautiful town with stores of all description,

and you have to pay two prices for every

thing you buy.  The Mexicans are a poor pitiable

race of mortals, and it looks like almost

a sin to come here to fight a parcel of negroes.

Their houses are built mostly of bamboo reeds

and mud.  We came up the river then to

Camargo, where we now are.  Camargo is a

trifling little place, and is at the head

of navigation.  You have to pay four prices

for every thing you buy.  This is warm

country and very sickly.  The North Carolina

Regiment is (illegible) up very fast with

disease the (missing) Some few cases of Smallpox

[are] here in town, but has not got in our

regiment.  I understand it is in General

Taylor’s army up at Monterey, where we expect

to go shortly as a part of our regiment

is already there.  It is thought that there

will be no more fighting, as General Scott,

in the last battle, got Santa Ana’s cork leg,

his carriage with $ 18,000 of gold, and

chased the old coon through the chaparral

so that he has left the range.  The first

volunteers are going home as fast as they

can get off, and I hope the time will

shortly come when we shall start home too,

which I think we shall get off before long,

and I aim to come through that country.

I have nothing more of importance,

but want you to write to me soon,

brother Francis.  Direct your letters [to]

the North Carolina Regiment of Volunteers

Company B.

Direct your letters to the North Carolina Regiment of Volunteers

Company B.  Yours respectfully,

                        Lewis W Hutchins

James Tilly

Dresden Post Office

Weekly County

Tennessee