Flag St^mr "Phil^da"

Charleston S.C.

March 6^th 1865

 

Sis:—

                        It is now ten days since I wrote you in answer to yours last received, and although I know of no mail going directly, yet I will write you a few lines, for I conceit I hear many voices say: "I wonder if Charley was on the "H. Moon" when she was sunk."

 

            We remained on board of the "Phil^da" after my writing you on the 24^th ult. untill Saturday evening. The Admiral on that afternoon hearing of the evacuation of Georgetown S.C. took the "H.M." and proceeded immediately to that place, and I had the misfortune to be with him. On Sunday afternoon we arrived at the town, at the mouth head of Winyah Bay. We remained / off the town untill the evening of the 28 ult. (Tuesday), when we proceeded down the bay several miles to Battery White, which the Admiral and Fleet Capt went to see. The battery is a very fine earth work guarding the bay but all its guns where spiked or destroyed and I understand since, we have finished the destruction of it. It was manned by fifty marines from the fleet.

 

            On the morning of the 1^st we got under way from off the Ft, and proceeded down the main channel of the bay. We where underway about fifteen mins, when we struck on a torpedo, and in four minutes (one who timed her says) we where on the bottom in fifteen or sixteen feet of water, the water being knee deep on the birth deck. This resting on the bottom was a lucky one for it saved us from the unpleasant and cold swim awaiting us, before breakfast, and enabled us to save every thing belonging to us personally, very few loosing any thing, but all missed our breakfast and had the pleasure of seeing / that which we where going to eat float around deck. This is all the injuries any one sustained however, except one man who was killed instantly by the explosion He was the Ward Room Stewart (Colored) and had just finished the thirty extra days of his time, and was down the after hold getting ready his things for his anticipated trip home, and was talking about going home to a man who was unfortunate enough to be in the same hold in double irons. The latter was saved. Another man was thrown over board by the shock and was almost drowned before being picked up by the Tug "Clover". The Admiral took the affair very cooly, and expressed his satisfaction that it was no more valuable vessel. Like the most of us he was the looser of nothing. The tug "Clover" took us from the wreck to the gunboat "Nipsic" laying at the mouth of the bay. We remained there untill Fryday when we came to this place came on board this vessel on Saturday afternoon after the most miserable and disagreeable trip of the many I have had on the "H.M." They will be able to save the / machinery of her, but I think otherwise she was rendered useless for things where blown from her hold up through the deck and in fact she is compleatly shook apart, so mote it be with the "H.M." after one years good service.

 

            To return to Georgetown, it is a very countryafied place and I think if properly attended to would make a very pleasant place to live. The inhabitants seemed pleased to see us, but most of them where colored and quite a number of the latter shiped on the "H.M." They make a very poor substitute for men on board of a vessel. The town was garrisoned by the few Marines of the fleet, and with the aid of negroes they where fortifying the town. All the saw mills of which there are many are useless, but there is quite a large quantity of shiping timber in the town.

 

            I have not heard any thing from Sherman of late date, but I feel confident as always that he is all right and I am only waiting to hear of his arrival in rear, and I trust soon in Richmond.

 

Governor Aiken was on board to see the Admiral this morning and had a long talk. He is a fine looking man, gray haired, and very inferiorly dressed. Fires are constantly breaking out in Charleston but I believe none of them has amounted to much yet. A number of supply schooners are at the wharf and I suppose the town is pretty well provisioned for the presant. The Master at Arms of this vessel was shot in the arm by one of the negroe troops while on liberty and he shot one of them dead in turn, he will lose the use of his arm. I have not heard from Harry since last writing.

           

I am well.                                                                   

Charley

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