Hilton Head July 4. 1862.

 

Yours of the 22^d I rec^d on the 2^d inst. not quite so quick as you wished for, but I did not need a letter to remind me of your Mother on the 29^th and I suppose you needed none to remind you of me on the 1^st. I hope you got mine of the 17^th and another written I think on the 21^st tho' I have forgotten the date it was in answer to one I rec^d from you.

 

I don't know whether you will be surprised or not to hear that we are again on Hilton Head but it seems that our attack of 16^th was so badly planned that Gen. Hunter tho't best to withdraw the troops and let the gunboats take care of James' Island, which I think they can do full as well as we could, especially when they get some of those long range guns to bear on their batteries, and it will be better for the health of the troops, as the climate is much worse near Charleston than it is here as the soil not so sandy.

 

Gen. Benham who commanded has I hear been sent home under arrest for disobedience of orders as it is said that Gen. Hunter had given positive orders not / make any attack but to defend himself if attacked.

 

It is also reported that he (Gen. Benham) committed suicide on his passage to New York, but of course we don't know about the truth of this story.

I think the attack on Charleston will be made wholly by gunboats, as it can be done with less labor and loss of life than it could be by land.

 

I hardly know what to write as there is not much of interest going on; I have seen all the wounded of our Company except Samuel & William Caban. I tried to get into the Hospital yesterday but they were dressing the wounds and would not allow any one to come in. I saw W^m Marston through the window he looks well but cannot walk round much yet D W Elliott & Jacob Smith have been over to our camp, which is quite near, several times. Samuel Caban is doing well but poor William died June 30^th. I believe he did not suffer much after the first day.

 

Fred Favor of Fisherville went home to New York in the last steamer and the rest think they shall go in the next tho' that will be just as the surgeons say.

We got our orders to get ready to leave James Island / last Tuesday morning. in the afternoon we packed our knapsacks and about 11 o'clock at night we struck our tents and carried them on board the steamer Gen. Burnside. About ½ past 1 o'clock Wednesday morning we went on board the Cosmopolitan and started for this place, where we arrived at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. we marched out near our present camp ground and took up our quarters out doors as our tents had not got along. Yesterday we got them and pitched them and are now living in them.

 

I am living with Simon Lamprey W^m Morrison and Horace Hall who are all well as are all the rest of the Company (except of course the wounded) and send their respects to their friends—

                                                           

Yours &c

John W. Clement

 

To Mr John Clement                                      

Exeter N.H.

 

Direct as before—

 

Send me a Saturday evening Traveller as often as you can.

J.W.C. 

 

Last Sunday Sewell Goodwin (who married Gen. Chase's daughter Eliza) and James Kincaid (of Pickpocket) came on shore from the gunboat "Huron"; they appeared well and hearty, and were very much disappointed in finding most of the Company out on picket.                                                           

J.W.C.

SOURCES