Lighthouse Inlet Jan. 14^th 1864.

 

Sis.

            I have not written to you since the date of my last, the 26^th of last month. On the following day I received three letters and a magazine, one of them was only a note however containing the receipt of the box you sent me on the 19^th, another was yours of the 14^th, and the third was from Hen Roliver. I have been waiting ever since for the arrival of the box which has not come yet. On Monday I received your letter of the 22^nd and I have come to the conclusion that I had better send a few lines in the Arago's Mail which will be closed tomorrow, for fear you will think the box and myself are both among the missing.

 

Since I last wrote to you there has been some changes on this vessel on account of the new Capt. who has been appointed to command in place of Act. Master. Martin, his name is M^r G. H. Deuran, Act. Master, allso. The changes he has made is most seen in the birth deck. He has made more room by takeing away the Yeoman's locker and it allso gives more ventilation makeing it much more pleasant to sleep and he seems to have more sistim / in the management of the vessel in in every way. To have much sistem on a vessel like this is all most imposable, being nothing but a river transport haveing a crew of over a hundred men, and allways strange boats crew comeing and going. besides the Admiral and Staff occupies more than one third of the whole ship which makes the rest of it very crowded and the confusion is increased by some half doz. carpenters with three or four more working at the forge. from that you may juge what times there are on here, it is almost imposable to find room to write, and a quiet place is out of the question.

 

I have forgot to tell you before that the Admiral has two Flag Ships, this one, and one outside the bar of this Inlet (the South Carolina) which lately he has been going out to every night, and comeing back in the morning, accompanied by the Fleet Capt. (M^r Bradford). The Admiral has been doing this ever since some refugees came out, who came on the 6^th and did not get out untill the night following, and on the 8^th they where brought on board to see the Admiral and that night and every night since untill last night he has been going out, which makes me think that the rumor is true, that the Iron Ram or torpedo boat is comeing out.

 

The Admiral seems in very good spirits, the Col. is still here. Yesterday the Monitor Lehigh arrived from Port Royal. The refugees I speak about say they had very hard time comeing out from the receiving ship in side. They lowered, (6 of them) the Capt. gig at eight in the evening, and at day light they where only 600 yds from where they started, on account of the darkness of the night, & roughness of the water. They then put in to some hiding place for the day and came out that night. They say things are very bad there, but they will hold on to the last they say, but are getting very tired of it and he says the South Carolinians acknowledge they brought it on, but every man in the State is dirt. The way the Government has of keeping up the Army is, (he says) by giving every one who catches a Conscript or Deserter gets thirty days furlough, and it is very natural to suppose that men who have been out since the war commenced, and no hopes of geting home untill it is over only in that way, are going to do it if it is posable to catch one, in any place. I see this morning that this refugee is cutting a [?] of the boat they have to carry torpedoes in from the panes he is takeing with it I think it / must be for the Admiral.

 

I see by your letter that they are about to buy substitutes, and I think it is a very good idea, for I think we have been nurseing that race long enough and when there can be any use made out of them to save men in the field I think it ought to be done. The idea of not fighting along side of them I think is done away with every where, for I do not here any one say he would like to be pulling that three hundred pounder down the beach there in the rain, and leave those contrabands that are at it be sat at home, or I did not see any one that had a paticular desire to work on those forts that have just been built on the right and left of the Inlet here. If they are not able to stand fire they can do this work and it will take less of us to do the other.

 

The box has not come yet but I do not think there is any danger but it will, but in directing it will be saffer for you to direct to Flag Ship Phil^a off Morris Isl. S.C. for there are three flag ships here now this one, the other one which I have mentioned and the Flag Ship of the Fleet here out side of the Bar. This one and the one outside of the Bar of the Inlet are Flag Ships of the Squadron. I will enclose a piece of poetry on the Loss of the Weehawken given to me by M^r Amos Burton of this guard. It was writen by one of the Mohaw's guard of Marines who are on board here now. I will now close wishing to be remembered to all inquireing friends and much love to all.

                                                                                                           

Charley

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