U.S. Steamer Phila.

Port Royal S.C.

Sept. 19^th/64

 

Sis:—

                        I received your letter of the 5^th and one from Harry of the 12^th, yesterday morning of Charleston, on the H.M. We have just come on board from the H.M. this morning and I am afraid my time is to short to have this ready for the Arago's mail which is going to leave this morning for the north. I would have writen before this only that I have been on the H.M. ever since this morning a week, and we had so short notice of our leaving that we had not time to eat our breakfast and of course no time to get any thing else. I had therefore to leave off writeing to you untill this morning.

 

Harry writes from Hilton Head which / is not as pleasant a situation as Beaufort although he does not complain of it. As he is at the Head I will have a better oppertunity of getting to see him which I shall do as soon as I can.

 

There is nothing strange doing at Cha'ston only what you have heard of. The Army is building a battery on the Point mounting eleven 11 inch guns, which is to be manned by the Navy and is in charge of Lieut Commander Matthews, late Commander of the Nipsic. The battery is simply an addition to Gregg for you can walk from one into the other. I hear from deserters that the blockade runners are running in and out as usual the reason of it I can not tell but I think a great portion of the blame can be put on the men which are now shiping in the Navy, for you can scarcely find a seaman among them. 

 

The news from all quarters is very encouraging. We have a report here now that Petersburg is captured, but I am afraid it is to good to be true. The maner that our prisoners are treated at Andersonville in Camp Sumter is scandalous and we may be thankfull that they are being removed from that slaughter pen. While on the H.M. the was a deserter man brought on board who escaped from Savannah prison, after just being removed from Camp Sumter. He looks very thin and bad, and his tale of the treatment of the prisoners there is just a reiteration of the account you sent me in the N.Y. Times of the 5^th. He says they are being all removed from there. He says also that the men in the Marine Battalion that where captured at Sumter this time last year are there. His / name is Rufus Ready.

I suppose it is Sherman coming so close to them at Andersonville is the cause of them being removed some of them are being sent to Charleston and are all distributed to the differant prisons.

 

The nights are begining to get cool here all ready and every thing in the shape of fruit is done away with.

 

I still continue well and wish to be remembered to all.

Charley.

 

M. E. Leaman

 

Sep. 19/64

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