Hilton Head, March 13. 1862

 

Yours of the 26^th ult was rec^d last Friday eve, 7^th just as we were starting from Seabrook's Landing for Daufuskie Island (accented on the second syllable, the contrabands don't pronounce the first, but call it Fuskie) and as I have been detailed as boatman and don't know when I shall have another chance thought I would improve the present opportunity.

 

A week ago last Tuesday between eighty and ninety men were detailed out of the Regiment as boatmen, and the next day we went down to the wharf to look the boats over and pick out crews for them. on Thursday we launched the boats and rowed them round to Seabrook (about six miles) and then walked back. we found some of them leaked so badly that we had to row four more round to Seabrook, Friday afternoon; we got there about eight o'clock in the evening and found about five hundred men out of our Regiment ready to get on board. after they had all got stowed away we started, but nobody seemed to know where we / were going, and so we went ahead the best way we could; the first thing that brought our boat up was some oyster beds where we got aground and were stuck for about an hour when we managed to get off, and our boat and another one went on till we came to Daufuskie Island the very place we were bound to, only we didn't know it; there we were hailed by a picket of the Seventh Connecticut Regiment, but as neither of the Captains in the boats would give them a satisfactory answer, they opened fire on us. they fired about a dozen rounds without hitting any one, and then got into a boat and chased us, but we had too much the start of them and so they didn't overtake us; and so we pulled up and down Calibogue Sound till morning, when we met some of the other boats and went back and landed the men, and took a rest till about twelve o'clock, when we pulled the boats round to the other side of the island to where the Regiment had gone by land; we got there about 5 o'clock, and were glad enough to get our suppers and go to bed. On the way down we saw the wreck of the "Winfield Scott", they are taking her off in pieces, /

 

            Sunday we rowed the Regiment to Bird Island (which is on the southerly side of Savannah River) just as we got there one of Tatnall's "Mosquito Fleet" came poking round the point of Elba Island and our battery let fly at them right over our heads, but it was too far off and the shot and shells fell short but the steamer put back as quick as if she had been hit. We rowed across to Jones' Island where we have another battery, the men marched across and we rowed the boats round to the other side, and took them back to Daufuskie. On Monday we were towed to the northerly side of Jones' Island by the steamboat Mayflower and rowed the rest of the way to Elba Island which is nearer Savannah than any of our troops have been. The Lieut. Col. and Major took a small party of men and made a reconnaissance of the whole island while two boats from the gunboat "Western World" sailed along shore and took our men off when they had finished. If the Rebs had known where we were, they could have come up on the other side of the island and shelled us out, as we were too far up the river for our batteries to reach them. 

 

Tuesday (Town Meeting Day) afternoon we rowed the boats round to the other side of Daufuskie, while the Regiment marched across. We rested till three o'clock the next morning when we rowed the men over to Braddocks Point and then rowed the boats to Seabrook and walked back to camp. We were tired and hungry enough when we got back I never did six harder days work in succession in my life You need not worry nor fret about that box, the cake that you sent was as good as any of it, and as for Carter's part in the transaction, he was not more thoughtful than his neighbors.

 

I was sorry when I got your letter that I said anything about the money, but I wanted to be sure you had rec^d it.

 

If we are not ordered off we shall probably move inside the fortifications next week, some of the boys say we are to have a camp ground right close to the beach

 

The Exeter boys are all well and send their respects to friends and so does

John W Clement

Co. B. 3^d Regt N.H.V.

Port Royal, S.C.

 

To Mr John Clement                                                              

Exeter N.H.                                                                             

 

[inset notes]

 

Hoe Cake is made of meal, water

and salt, a kind of Scalt Cake

what we have had is made of white meal

 

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