Excerpts from the Paterson Daily Guardian
Mentioning the 9th New Jersey Volunteers

From the 9th N.J. Regiment. The Paterson Company. Evans Mill, July 4.

Today being the Fourth of July, and having nothing to do, I thought I would improve my time in writing you. Our Company left Newport Barracks on Monday, and took the cars until within three miles of Newbern when we marched to this place and relieved a Company of the 51st Pennsylvania Regiment. This place is a plantation of about 3,000 acres, and was owned by a man named Evans, who is now a Captain in the rebel army, and of course his property is confiscated. There is a saw mill here, and our camp takes its name from that. It is considered a very healthy place; but the boys do not like it much on account of the mosquitoes, flies and fleas. There is quite a stream running through the place which turns the mill and serves for a nice bathing place for the boys. We are quartered in sheds at present. We are building a block house for defence, and as soon as it is finished we will go in tents up on the hill by the block house. Our pickets are about a mile from camp. The pickets have to stand the whole twenty-four hours on their posts without any sleep, while the camp guard is two hours on and four off in the twenty-four. This Fourth like the last finds me in the army. It is the same to me as any other day. I suppose Paterson is alive with excitement on account of its being the Fourth.

When Burnside moves, the 9th New Jersey will be left behind to guard the railroad. Our regiment now is strung on the railroad from Beaufort to Newbern. Doing guard duty, and taking care of the railroad. While you are eating your good dinner of roast meat, I am dining on salt pork and rice. I am in the best of health and enjoying myself first rate.

J.B. Goldsmith.

New Jersey's Dead.

The following is a list of the soldiers of the 9th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers, whose remains are interred in Cedar Grove, Cemetery, Newbern, N.C.: A. Pauine, Co. A; M.E. Townley, Co. B; J. Watson, do; Martin Moore, do; T.E. Martin, Co. C; A. D. Staples, do; E. Cremier, Co. D; J. R. Steelman, do; A. Speerman, do; A. R. Nelson, Co. F; S. S. White, Co. G; F. Delany, do; S. A. Hogerman, Co. H; Henry Space, Co. M; L. Turse, - ; James Addison, Co. D; M. Shultz, Co. D.

Rev. Thos. Drum, chaplain of the 9th N. J., at Newbern, N. C., is at Trenton, and will return to the regiment in a few days. He desires to inform those having friends in the 9th, that he will be happy to take back with him contribution of reading matter, &c., for those of his regiment. Books or parcels might be sent to his residence 88 Jackson street, or to the drug Store of Wevil and Decon, State street.

Letter from the Ninth New Jersey.

Friend Babcock. - The tedious monotony of holding possession of these barracks has been blessed with a slight variety during the last three or four days. On Friday night last an order came for a detachment of our Regiment to prepare for a scout. On Saturday morning about three o'clock we started - six companies of the Ninth New Jersey, three companies of the Third New York Cavalry, and two pieces of a New York battery. Company B took the right - her usual position in line when anything is to be done. (It is a note-worthy fact that, whenever the "long roll" has been beaten, and the regiment formed in line, Company B has always been sent to the pickets to ascertain the cause of the alarm.) To resume. We marched about twenty five miles the first day, repaired several bridges which the rebels or freshets had destroyed, threw out skirmishers each side of the road on most of the route, but encountered "nary" armed rebel. Our Col. pressed into the service all of the male citizens along the route, that they might not inform any rebel force in the vicinity of our approach. We bivouacked the first night in a large open field, which contained probably 100 acres or probably more. I have yet to see the first intelligent looking white man, or the first member of the soft sex who does not snuff and look like a slattern. The most lucid reply that one can get from any of them is, "I reckon" and "right smart." I have not been able to decide whether the fool or knave predominates among them. But I digress. We first stacked arms, on halting for the night but as it was deemed most prudent for us to sleep with our rifles by our sides, we did so. Most of us lay right down on the bare ground, with India rubber blankets over us. Some reversed that order of things. I don't know how long I had been sleeping - not long - when I was aroused by rain. The clouds had portended a shower when we halted, and here it was upon us. Well, "I reckon" the rain came down "right smart" for several hours that night. I lay between two others; and two or three times during the continuance of the shower, one of us had to arise up and empty our covering of at least a pail of water that had settled thereon. (I have heard that New Jersey donated those India rubber blankets to her sons of the Ninth; if so, she has our most heartfelt thanks.) Nothing occurred during the night - except the rain - to disturb our rest. In the morning about six o'clock, we resumed our march, Company H on the advance. We went, it was said, about fifteen miles, to a point called "Young's Cross Roads," and halted. Here, report said, we were to be joined by a force from Newbern, consisting of the Seventeenth and Twenty-First Massachusetts, two or three companies of the Third New York Cavalry, and a field battery of three pieces.

A kitchen was improvised, coffee prepared and drank; some of the men were lying down to rest, others washing their blistered feet; scouts of cavalry had been sent out on the various roads, and all of us felt as secure and unsuspicious of danger - almost - as if we had been seated at our own firesides, when suddenly, "bang!" the report of a gun was heard. In less time than I can write it, every man of Co. B was on his feet; Captain Castner was washing his feet, but his "leathers" were on in less than no time; I don't know what Lieuts. Sofield and Burnett were doing [illegible] were "around." We started on double quick to the scene - meantime the shots multiplied - Company B was at least a hundred yards in advance of Company I, who were sent out with us; other companies had been sent out on other roads. Sore feet, fatigue, everything was forgotten. We found the firing to proceed from the opposite side of the river - the bridge over which had been destroyed by the rebels; that is their style, you know. Company B were deployed as skirmishers on the left of the bridge; Company I, when they arrived, were deployed on the right. We fought at a disadvantage - we were in an open field, where they saw us plainly; they in the woods and underbrush, invisible to us. The rebels made very poor shooting; they had every advantage of us; the balls whistled around us like hail, but only one man of Co. B was struck - Abraham Dock, of Monmouth county, flesh wound. Three men of Co. I were wounded; one, I learn, has since died. The first shots in the skirmish were fired at Col. Heckman, Dr. Woodhull, (regimental surgeon) and a colored servant of the former, who were scouting on horseback. All three were struck, slightly. After this unequal contest had been carried on about half an hour, one of our field pieces arrived and was got into position; the men were called in, and then Lieut. Graham of the artillery, commenced to riddle the woods with canister and shell. That ended the skirmish, the rebels "skedaddled." Co. B was then drawn up in front of the torn-down bridge, to protect a number of its members who were detailed to repair the damage done to it. A piece of timber was got across the gap, and Frank Cahill, of your city, was the first to cross it. One span - about ten feet - was the width of the gap; that was soon repaired, and a party rushed across.

Ten government sabers were found in the woods with the "U.S." turned upside down; several double barreled guns and cartridge boxes; a secesh coat, with cartridges in one pocket and hard biscuit in the other, and the disfigured remains of a man who had evidently been struck by a shell. A company was left to guard the bridge, and we returned to quarters where we passed the night. During the next day Colonel Heckman learned that by some fatal misconception, the force from Newbern, which was to meet us near the scene of the skirmish, had halted seven or eight miles from us; and we did not meet them there, and they had orders to go no further, and had staying their allotted time, they returned thence. Our Colonel also, had orders not to pass the bridge mentioned above, unless reinforced. About half past two o'clock, P.M., on Monday, a courier arrived with orders that we should proceed to Newbern immediately, as there were fears we would be surrounded and cut off. At 3 P.M. we started, and marched seven or eight miles, posted pickets, as usual, and laid down for another night's rest.

About 5 o'clock in the morning we started again, and arrived near our old quarters (of March last) opposite Newbern, about noon, having performed a march of about sixty miles. We would not have made a very handsome appearance marching down Albany street just then; a large number were without boots or shoes; most of us covered with mud and dripping with sweat. Those who were not shoeless, walked lame. It is needless to say that all were completely fagged out. At 3 o'clock P.M. we got on board the cars and were transported to our barracks, where we arrived just before sundown, so stiff and sore we could scarcely get out of the cars. Our errand has been almost a fruitless one, on account of the misunderstanding as to where our two forces were to meet to pursue the enemy. Both commanders obeyed their instructions to the letter - who was to blame? Quien sabe?

E.M.H

A number of the 9th Regiment are in town. These boys have smelled powder a great many times. They have re-enlisted and will take on any fighting men they can find, as they want a few recruits. Nobody who is afraid of a fight must join these boys, as they count themselves "in" upon nearly every occasion. They are a brave lot of good fellows.