On board Ship Salvor

Off the Coast of North Carolina

Dec 10^th 1862             

 

Dear Deborah            

            Having just learned that the ship had to go in port to morrow morning I will take this very inconvenient time and place to write you a little in regard to how I am and where I be at the present time

 

            I am well and enjoying myself as well as I can under the circumstances which is not first rate on acct of the distance from home and the crowded state of the ship. We are stowed in very thick so that three has to sleep in a bunk only 3 ft wide. our living consists of beef pork beans sea buiscuit and coffee the biscuit is so hard that it is almost impossible to break them. the meat is as good as can be expected the coffee as good as we can make by making a barrel in one boiler at once we cook about one half a beef and from 75 to 100 pounds of pork per day it takes a bushel & a half of beans for a mess for one meal Our buiscuit is the same size and shape as soda crackers and about as thick again we get from 3 to 5 at each meal which is as many as as we can eat at once. We left new york city on friday afternoon and went down the river about six and then anchored for the night under the guns of three large forts and a man of war vessel. they had to leave the dock in new york 3 or 4 days before we started on our voyage and anchor under the guns of fort hamilton and castle gordon / the reason for that was on account of the boys being allmost in a state of mutiny if they had not done that they would have taken the ship and run her up to Albany and then went home. the reason of this was because they did not get their bounty as was promised them there is about $100. dollars due each man and we do not know when we shall get any of it

 

            But to start again we left Saturday morning and started on our voyage we sailed all day until after dark some time when when we came near to Delaware Bay and the captain would not try to pass that until the wind went down as it was very rough sea Sunday morning was no better So they started back toward New York and went back that way until about noon when they started back again for the south when night came again we was in about the same place that we was the night before we lay there all night again and started on our way in the morning passed the Bay of Delaware and Chesapeake that day and came to the coast of Virginnia that day. nothing of importance occurred worth speaking of except lots of sea sickness hardly a man but that was sea sick. to day we learned for the first were we were going to it is quite different from what we expected we supposed that we were going to fortress Monroe but in stead of that we are going to Ship Island in the mouth of the Mississippi River about 75 miles below New Orleans. from there we think we shall go on to texas 

 

            Tuesday we found that we were sailing down the coast of North Carolina we passed Albemarle Sound last night about 8 Oclock although we were out of sight of land yet we could see the light house on cape lookout I have seen two of the best sights that I ever saw in my life that was to see the sun set and the moon rise as it were right out of the water there was to all appearances for about 15 minutes two suns both coming nearer to gether until they both became one and was gone in an instant. the moon came up at first it looked long then square and finally grew round and to all appearances there was two distinct moons until the moon was clear above the horizon then the lower one was gone

 

to Day there has been a goodeal of excitement on the ship in watching the shark and sea hogs & porpoise that came playing around the ship there was but one shark been seen yet he followed for some time but finally left Sea hogs and porpoises are any quantity of leaping out of the water all round the boat I saw one large turtle it was about 2 ft across it lay floating along on its back for some time then turned over and went down

 

            this after noon we passed to ships one loaded with men the other with stores a going South same as we are. out of about 100 vessells that is going with Banks there has not one of them been in sight since we left the city and we are all alone and have sailed so all the time / we are on Rebel teritory and have to keep out from shore a good way and be quiet. from the time we left the Park until yesterday I suffered with the cold more than I ever did in half of a winter at home but yesterday the weather was quite warm and to day we keep out of the sun and in the shade with our coats off it is very warm to night

 

            The ship is a going to port Royal North Carolina to morrow morning where we expect to mail our letters

 

            I send you an envelope with the directions on which you can send back to me when you write with your letter in write as soon as you get this and direct as this one is until I tell you otherwis I will write again in a few days and give you a better discription of what I have seen

 

            I send a 3 cent shin plaster in this to frank tell him I want him to keep it till I come home Tell lilly that I will send her something next time I write

 

My love to you self and all father & Mother

Go nigt

 

                        L. V. Tucker

Direct to me when you write

Co A 160 Regiment

N.Y.S.V.

To follow Banks Expidition

via of N York

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