Galveston Jany 10^th 1863

Saturday night 9 oclock

 

Dear Lizzie

                        The old saying that it is hard to say what an hour may bring proved true today. I was sitting at my desk quietly writing as I now am when I heard a gun go bang & directly the same thing again. I instantly droped my pen & ran up on top of the house to see what was going on. It proved to be four of the enemys ships shelling our city which they did pretty well for about two hours. they were too far out to sea for us to reach them at first. nor could they do us any harm, but they ventured a little closer, when we opened up on them & they retired. the shot & shell make a curious noise. I was in a position that I could see every thing that was going on. You look at the ship, they fire, see the smoke, wait  about half a minute, then you hear the report of the gun, then the whistling of the shell, soon you hear a second report, the bursting of the shell, loaded with balls, pieces of iron &c. When they explode in a house they tear it all to pieces. one shell bursted today about 200 yards from me in a house & tore it to pieces. we expect that they will commence fighting again tomorrow. There was no one hurt today. I felt sorry to see the poor women & children runing through the streets & getting out of the city as fast as possible for fear of being hurt. our troops are ordered to sleep with their guns in their hands tonight for fear of an attack. you can not imagine how our soldiers were laughing & joking / during the fight. I did not see a man who looked any way frightened, all of them saying only let them come ashore & we horse Marines will show them what the Texians can do. A flag of truce went out to the vessels yesterday.

 

Smith the spy was shot yesterday at 12 oclock. he was a deserter from Col Cooks Regiment, he came in a few days ago thinking that the Yankees were still in Galveston & did not find out his mistake until it was too late. he was the most desperate man I ever saw. he laughed, swore & done every thing rideculous he could up to the moment he was shot. all the troops were out on parade. the piece of paper shows how every thing was arranged.

 

                        How I do wish that I could see you. it seems like a year since I saw you last. pray for me Lizzie that I may be spared to the end of the war, which I hope will not be long & that may we spend many many happy days together.

                                               

Give my love to all. I will write again tomorrow.

                                                                                               

Yours devotedly

Will

 

[diagram of shooting site, l. to r.: Citizens/carriages; Elmores Regt Infantry, Cooks Regt, Griffin's Regt; guard; 4 companies Cavalry; Col Delray & Staff; guard; soldiers who shot him; coffin; guard; Rileys Regt, Greens Regt, Bagleys Regt; citizens/carriages; citizens]

 

[pencil]

 

Willie Smith

Willie Smith 

 

It is hardly bed time & I will amuse myself by writing how I have lived since I came to the island. we poor soldiers have nothing to eat except corn bread beef &c. Gen Magruder Col Delray & staff were invited to take up their head quarters at the Catholic Bishops house & since I have been here all that I have had to eat is—well I will not tell about every meal but will give you a list of our dinner to day. Roast beef, mutton & pork, fish & oysters, cabbage, Irish potatoes, green peas, tomatoes & butter beans, corn bread, cold biscuit, light bread & butter & after dinner a cup of good strong coffee that was all that we had for dinner Oh I forgot some good Yankee cheese. I am sorry that all do not live in this way, but all the soldiers have plenty of corn bread, beef, bacon, vegetables &c. no danger of starving yet a while, although some of them complain a great deal about the living here, but it is because they are too lazy to cook it.

 

            The old Bishop Father Chambers has taken a great fancy to me & it seems that he can not do to much for me. every thing that I could wish for I have.

Well I believe I will stop writing & go to bed.

 

Yours

Will

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