Federal Soldiers' Letters, #3185

Raleigh April 16th. N.C. /65 Dear Wife When I wrote you last I told yoou we were agoing some where we mached the next morning for Raleigh 50 miles it took us three days we went through Smithfield wich is a very fine city at this place we got the news of Lees capture you had aught to have seen the excitement. the dispatch was redd by Genl. Sherman in front of the Court house. our band was at the head of the collume we playd all the National airs the soldiers threw up thair hats and chreed with all thair might. they got a negro on a blanket and threw him ten feet. we then marched for Raleigh. this also a very fine city. all the frrce we have to con- tend with now is Johnson comand wich left the city as we entered it beign surrenderd by the mayor and council. negoations are now going on while I am writeing for the surrender of his command (Johnson)

[page 2] this will close up the whole concern what we shall do next I do not know but untill then I remain yours as ever from the begining to the end yours. I. Shoger N.B.-- we expect to have a mail to day

From the Federal Soldiers' Letters, #3185, in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.