Hilton Head S.C.

October 1st

 

Dear Mother

                        Yours of the 20^th came to hand yesterday and was welcome & refreshing although containing such a sad misfortune to E.A. It is all for the best of course although we do not see it at present. We have been here in a state of "suspenders" quite aggravating since little Mac's retreat from the peninsula rumors coming thick and almost as fast as the fleas at night especially when a gunboat comes up the river whether she brings a mail or not. So much sympathy from home ushers in a new month with very pleasant feelings & encourages one to put their best foot foremost. I get along first rate in my new company as in fact I can almost anywhere if I am used decently. 

 

Box No. 4 has I fear become food for the fishes as it has not come here yet and the sloop containing the whole of Adams' Express for this place which left New York Sep. 9^th has been given up for lost by the Co. and should it ever reach here would probably be spoiled. However I do not suffer any more or as much as a good many others and do not let this discourage you from a similar attempt should you feel so disposed I had a visit from John Nichols last week and he brought with him an album full of Photographs of Kingston people most of them known to me a great treat I assure you he also read me some scraps of K— news also a complaint from the P—s that I did not favor them often enough but I have written both to them and to you within 3 weeks / I only hope that they reached their destinations there was a rumor here that soldiers letters had been detained in New York a few days for fear of information they might contain but we hardly believed it.

 

I have the promise of my Captain of going to Beaufort to see John N some day this week which will be the first time I have been outside the fortifications since we struck the island so you see I dont ramble from home so much as I did. I blow the camp calls & the other bugler blows the calls on drill so I am likely to become fat ragged & saucy if our new broom Gen Mitchell dont sweep the island clean and send us upon some expedition to the interior. He is a very nervous stirring little body in his saddle nearly day long & I think if he had anything / like the troops he wanted would make a brilliant dash with them somewhere. He has ordered the blacks outside of the breastworks already not wanting them or the barracoons so immediately under his nose as Hunter did. The weather is growing warm again just as it was in June with an increase of flies fleas & mosquitoes the last two weeks of August were very pleasant & cool. The paymaster has neglected us again for more than a month with the prospect of paying 4 months dues at one time about the 10 of Nov. so we have come down to the mutual accommodation system.

 

With love & best wishes for all of you

 

I remain your affec son

Walter H—

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