General Hospital Port Royal S.C        Aug 31^th 1862

 

Brother Charles

I have been thinking of writing to you for some time but putting it of untill something would turn up worth writing about which has hardley occured yet but this being Sunday and the last of the month and mustering in day for pay which comes every two monts i thought i would let you know a little about Port Royal the Depo for the armey in the South.

 

For my part i thank god that i am well in health at present and i think doing as well as though i was in philadelphia i am still in the employ of the hospital but not in the same capacity as i was when i wrote to you last i was then nursing the sick and wounded i have changed situations twice since then both times at my own request but i think i am satisfied now nursing did not agre with my health it was the cause of my first change the second was i think i can make a little more money which everey man tryes to do here either fair or fowl. I have told you before a goodeal about port Royal. well it is still improveing in building it would be a good prise for the enemy now they are hovering round within 12 or 15 miles sometimes. they surprised and took part of a company of our pickets killing 4 wounding 4 and taking some thirty prisners. Our Ridgment has been under orders to be in readiness at a minut warning for several days i suppose to secure some of those eylands.

 

At this period of my writing i was called on by our leutenent to go over to the Company which is about a hundred yards of the hospital and be / mustered in for soulders pay which i attended to of course and while there in conversation with he told me one of my friends from philadelphia that i write all his letters he told me being confident that i would keep the secret where the troops was expected to go that General Hunter and the Ridgments officers had held a consultation of war and a negro cook overheard one of the officers telling another i advised him to to make a report of the case to the officer that he might deal with the negro as he thought fit they are not to be trusted. Commodore Dupont with his war bash and a couple of frigates with several gunboats is here to protect the eyland there was a great talk about an iron rammer coming from Charlestown Savanah a fourtnite ago it made quite a stur here we mounted a double quantity of guns on the fort and a large number on the breast work but she has not made her appearance yet and i ges wont I suppose you heard of the fight on James eyland some time ago where we lost some 7 or 8 hundred killed and wounded it was a shocking affair our Ridgment was thear but not in the engagement being held as a reserve i was nursing at the time and had charge of about 70 wounded men the ward master being sick i got to be a first clas nurse i cupt when required. the worst was to assist in the amputation of limbs but i soon got used to that a good many of the wounded died spent many month and some is in the hospital yet the general health here i think is not bad the weather is not so hot as it has been we have as fine a bathing shore as nature could well form and i for one with thousands more have enjoyed it if the countery was at pease and all quiet i could content myself where i am. i have to be content anyhow 

 

from reasons which i have i think there will be something done in this quarter of the south before long. we get New york papers and philadelphia papers every mail but the last was the 13^th we expect a mail every hour. i shall send you our little sheat called the new south.

 

You wrote in your last i think but i believe i have lost that letter that your wife was ailing with some pain and you intended to call on medical aid do not put it of to long i would like to send you one of the cakes i bake but i can not handy do it the boys says they are good i am going if all goes favourable to try my hand on pyes

 

Charles i want you to let my relations know how i am getting along Mary and father in partickular and wright write to me as soon as you can and let me know how you are getting along I hope you are all well

 

I have sent Aaron Hurley one hundred dollars and i expect to send him fifty more as soon as i get paid these two months that is due to day

 

the last account i had of him he told me he expected his wife would soon die when you write let me know about it if you know when you write and also about Edgar if you know any thing.

 

Since i commenced to write i have ascertained from a reliable source that the steamship Nashvile was burnt near fort Polaski this morning by her own crew she was trying to run the blocade she was fired on by the fort / they ran her ashore and burnt her they was a small gun boat after her but the crew made thear escape on Jones Eyland.

 

We captured three Rebel spies a few days ago and thear was three deserters made thear escape from the Rebels and came to our camp one was from Philadelphia he has a cousin Sargent in our Company and he knows some of the rest of the boys

 

We have a new hotel built and in operation hear they sell thear ale at forty cts per bottle chese sels here at 25 and 30 cts per lb and other things in proportion i sel my cakes at 20 cts per pease

 

Chal

           

Charles write soon i am anxious to hear from you and the rest let me now how the Goverment is making out in raising men to crush this rebelion

 

from Your Affectnet Brother

            William W Shivers

 

Direct yours to the General hospital Portroyal S.C

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