Edisto Island, S.C. April 20. 1862

 

Yours of 6^th & 9^th inst. I rec^d yesterday also one from Dr G. W. Dearborn, and though I was glad to get them I was a little disappointed in not getting more letters and some papers; some of the boys got papers as late as the 11^th inst. giving full accounts of the capture of Island N^o 10, and the great victory at Pittsburg Tennessee; the last must have been an awful battle, and I think must be the last great battle of the war.

 

I suppose you have heard before this that Fort Pulaski was taken on the 10^th inst. with 365 prisoners without the loss of a man on either side; that is the report here at least. we heard the cannonading here, it is over 30 miles from here to the Fort.

 

I believe I wrote you that we came here on the 4^th inst about a week after the Rebs attacked the pickets of the Penn 55^th (by the way I see that the Rebs state that they came / on here with 2000 men but finding 6000 of our men here they retired in a masterly manner) there were the 55^th Penn. the 47^th N.Y. Reg^t between 70 & 80 of the Mass. 1^st Cavalry, and 2 sections of the R.I. 3^d Battery, scattered all over this island and Little Edisto; at that time there might have been 2000 of ours here, but not one over that, and I don't think quite so many; the Rebs made a night attack with full as many, killed 2 of the Penn. 55^th took 14 prisoners, and then got driven off, so scared that they saw 3 men for every one we had; I think they got pretty well peppered, as one of the 55^th boys escaped from them says he helped bury 15 Rebs that were killed that night.

 

Since we have been here they have not tried to land, but some of them have fired at one of our gunboats wounding a Lieut. in the wrist and night before last a part of Co. H. 3^d N.H. and some of the 55^th with a section of artillery landed near the spot and drove the Reb pickets in, and stopped all night; in the morning / the Reb Cavalry made a sudden attack on them, but a couple of shells set their horses to jumping so they that when our boys began to pepper them with rifle balls they went away somewhat quicker than they came.

 

Last Wednesday our Company again changed their quarters, moving this time about 6 miles back in the direction of the place where we landed; we are now stopping on Eddings Plantation; we all live in the mansion house; the men down stairs and the officers above. We sleep on the floor but those that have mattresses have them filled with husks so as to be quite comfortable. Our cooking is done in the kitchen, which is a separate building about two rods from the house, this is the style in this part of the world.

 

We are entirely separated from the Regiment and do nothing but guard duty, mostly picket; we are on duty twice in five days, the rest of the time we have to ourselves. The boys say they would like to stop here the rest of their three years if it wasn't / for mosquitos and land flies, both of which are pretty thick here when the wind don't blow, as the duty here is lighter than anything we have had since we enlisted, and we have a good house to live in.

 

I sent $20.00 of my pay to you—or rather gave it to the Chaplain and I believe he has not had a chance to send it yet. if I could get it again I believe I should send it by mail. But I sha'n't fret as I suppose you will get it at some time, if you ever do. As I told you in another letter you need not acknowledge the receipt of the money but once after you get it.

 

The Exeter boys are well with the exceptions I wrote before. Jacob Stone is at Hilton Head in the General Hospital, George Giddings is here, he came up a few days after we did, he and I have both sore feet.

 

I do not recollect any such man as Asa Beals, but a good many of the Exeter boys do.

 

Our time for rising is 5 in summer and at daylight in winter, but when we are off on an expedition we rise at any hour the Officers see fit to have us. I don't know but this letter will reach you before those written ten days ago.

 

Direct as before

J. W. Clement

 

Mr John Clement                                                        

            Exeter N.H.                                                                 

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