Lighthouse Inlet Dec. 16^th 1863.

 

Sis

            It is now exactly two weeks since I last wrote to you, and we are now in the same place as we where when I commenced writeing my last. Since that time I have very little encourageing to tell you of what has hapened. Up to Sunday the 6^th there was nothing unusial hapened nothing but the same fireing which has been cept up ever since I have came down.

 

You of course have heard of the sinking of the Weehawken on that Sunday, and will have a better account of it than I will be able to give you. I suppose you will want to hear what I know about it so I will tell you as near as I can what I have seen and heard. In the afternoon between two & three Oclock I was down on the birth deck, and hearing asudent & unusual noise on deck with the cry of a Monitor sinking I hurried up and there was nothing to be seen but about half of the turret, a portion of the pipe, and flagstaff, and steam escapeing out of the usual pipe. The top of the turret was covered with men some holding on to the pipe a couple to the flag staff, and a great many adrift. As quick as posable boats from the differant ships where sent, and succeeded in saveing all but about thirty of them, some being picked up half way / to the beach, and some with preservers are said to have drifted the whole way to it. As we where the nearest vessel to the Monitor except the morton Schooner, and a tug, there was good portion of them brought on board, the Capt. then commanding her, (for Capt. Calhoun had just been relieved on account of health) was on board here at the time. After she puting up the signals of distress, before the Capt. could get to her she was gone. The cause of her going down a great many of the crew says was carelessness of not scoureing the battle plate of the forward hatch, which in leser storms under the Old Capt. (Calhoun) was secured & caulked to prevent the water from comeing in, while this time there was nothing done to it at all, and the force of the sea breaking over it forced the plate in, and for some cause they could not replace it. The water runing in so fast, with the heavy load of coal, and ammunition caused her to sink very rapidly, giving the crew but little time to escape and some did not get out of her at all, and two in double irons (hands & feet chaind) have not been heard of, and of course have drowned in that terable condition, and I heard one on board her say that two of their friends thare went to relieve them have not been heard of either. There was one brought on board here dead, or he died in a few minutes after, and was buried on Wednesday. he was Yeoman, a man of thirty winters. The Admiral seemed very much hurt, and I think / he had reason to be, for he called her his best Monitor, one that had stood a couple of heavy gales coming down. She had been 36 hrs. aground under fire of the enimie had just come from repairs, and stood a heavier swell two weeks before, and I think it very strange she could not stand the little swell last Sunday a week. I hope we will get the corect account of it.

It has been stormy ever since last Thursday a week, and it seemes to be playing a good game with the rebel obstructions, a great deal of it haveing floated out and a portion of it was brought on board for the Admiral to see, which is nothing but a network of large and small roap bouyed up on barles. I suppose the idea of it is to entangle the propeller. It seemes very breckel, and I think there will be very little of it there by spring, at least I hope so, for I do not think there will be much done by our side before that time. I see by the papers Jack sent me that Grant is still keeping on in is old unconditional maner. I hope he may still continue, in his old course, but I am afraid the people do expect to much of him, for I see they expect him to bring up in Richmond, and I here talk of him comeing up in the rear of Charleston for I think he is well able to do boath if he is only given time and means but I am afraid  they will want him to do boath at once, which I am afraid he cannot do. As for the Army of the Potomac / I feel quite confident that you are safe in its hands, at least untill the roads get good any how, and I hope by that time your wishes may be gratified by Unconditional being in Richmond.

 

Since we left the Inlet the last time we have tried several times to come in out of the storm and could not so yesterday we undertook to come in around by Stones, the storm disableing our ruder, the Linomi (Gun boat) toad us to Stone Inlet where we got to, about twelve Oclock, and from there to come around the crick to the Inlet took us untill one Oclock this morning, and no one was allowed to turn in untill we got here. It was only about 10 miles round, but the creek had such short bends that we had to pull her around not haveing room to steam. I received your two last letters with Jacks papers & was sorry to hear of the death of Mr Lefever. I still continue well and will now close wishing to be remembered to all inquireing friends & much love to all.

                                                                                                           

Charley.

 

[upside down]

 

Dec. 16/63

SOURCES