Port Royal

St Helena Island, SC

March the 5 1863

 

My Dear Parrents

 

                        I received your kind and welcom letter to day and was glad to hear from you and all of the friends at home you will be supprised to hear that we have just received our box to day down in SC aint it to bad that we could have not got the box before wal I will tell you a bout the box the cakes and crackers was all spoilt and all of the appels but 3 one with my name on it that was good and some of the donuts was / good and the walnuts was nice they look natural I can tell you for it is a long time since I have seen anny the hankercheifs and stockings was verry good ones if we could of got the box when it arived in newbern the things would of bin good as when put in the box the express came the day we left newbern and got it the 5 of march I am glad if Henry is to ome once more tell him to stay home is home if ever so humbly I am now in SC encamped in our shelter tents the ones that we brought with us evry man brought half of a tent they are thin button together and we fixt the ends with palm leaves the same fans are made of we are encamped in a cotton field there is / plenty of orange trees here how nice they look growing on the trees just like appels oysters just as thick as they can grow I have seen some of the 6 conn volunters they are here in a plac cald beaufort they come here most evry day we expect to go to charleston and savanah before long our gun boats are to work there evry day we can hear the big guns evry day from that direction they say they expect to take the places, with the gun boats mostly I have not mutch time as the mail is going in the morning for it is 10 o'clock now it will close give my love to all of the folks aunt uncle and remember me to Katie and James and family tell Henry to write kiss Eddy for me tell Herman to be a good boy I remain your ever loving son Miles L Smith 

 

I shall put Fathers name on the top line you said on the bottom line if that aint write you can get a nother and write the name you self I heard from Milford you said you wanted to know so you can draw the money please direct your letters as before for we dont know how long we may stay here

                                               

write soon and

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