Hilton Head S.C. (Sandy Country)

July 19^th 1862

 

Dear Sister & Mother                                                                         

                                    The recurrence of another Saturday gives me a few spare hours to improve in writing as far as the heat & flies will permit & here you have it. Last Monday witnessed another visit of the Paymaster to our quarters causing quite a stir although he disbursed but a very small amount to each of us. It took the best part of 3 days to pay off the ten companies now together of the Reg some 1100 men. It is quite an imposing sight on Parade now & is the first opportunity we have had of becoming acquainted with some companies that were in the fight. Co's B. E. K. & I. contain a strong tincture of Irish & consequently are turbulent & noisy at times. The next morn Tuesday a large mail reached here in the Arago containing your kind & elaborate letter of the 4^th which must have passed my last one home on the way as I acknowledged your second box the very same day that it came to me & mailed it immediately. Edw. J. seems to have broken the ice of his stay at home principle I wish he would drop in on us here it is a free port & the field for business or trade is very extensive the sutlers have raised 15 per ct on all their prices since we were paid and as change is very scarce they will not take treasury notes without a discount grinding us down to a pretty fine thing so that I feel justified in asking for another box if it is not too much already forwarded according to my last description in my last letter. A clasp or jacknife is much needed also a sealed can of honey the healthiest sweet for this climate also reading matter for a half of the papers mailed to fellows here never reach them. Clothing I have plenty of and we go as near naked as we can without letting our skin blister. If Edw is willing that I should take $20. for the silver B_f I can get it most any day from one of the Band if I could only have the crooks A_f & C to go with it So if you send them & his consent I would govern myself accordingly. 

 

4^th of July passed off very quietly one salute at noon but we do not feel very much like celebrating until we have some better news from M^cLellan in fact as my chum Walker expresses it we have been kept in suspenders about long enough some three weeks and nothing reliable today. Last Thursday a French ship entered the harbor & fired a salute of 13 guns which was answered from the fort and every one of our ships with an equal number which sounded startling & at the same time very exhilarating. It was about noon time when we take refuge under our tents from Mr. Sun and the way we "biled out" of our tents was a caution for we all felt sure that it was news of the fall of Richmond but we were premature in our joy and obliged to come down to the dull routine of our Regiment the same eve I had an agreeable surprise from John Nichols & F. J. Williams (of Brookline Father knows who I mean a neighbor of Chas Stearns') who came out with six more as missionaries to the contrabands but my pleasure was short for I had to crowd it all into a half an hour and they continued on up to Beaufort I should as soon think of teaching at the Fejee Islands. That there are important changes going on in this Department right around us there is no longer any doubt to me but what will become of us we cannot be sure of till we get there (Fortress Munroe I guess) Letters and boxes will be sent after us of course but the risk is greater of getting them. We have tremendous thunder showers every day or two but they do not cool the air any longer than they last themselves. Give my love to Aunt Mary Ann & family I remember them whenever I have a good game of cards. God prosper & bless you all                                      

Walter H.

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