Hilton Head, S.C. July 7^th 1862

 

Yours of the 29^th ult and 1^st inst was rec^d yesterday, and I was very glad to hear that you had heard from me since the action of the 16^th ult. as I knew you would feel anxious till you heard from me, and was very glad that my letter reached you so soon after you got the news in the papers as the first accounts in them are always contradictory so that no one can tell anything about it.

 

I have seen several accounts of that action in the papers, the best one is in the Boston Journal of the 28^th of June, but that is rather confused till it comes to Captain Dunbar's statement; that and what follows is as near the truth as can be, but a good many statements in the first part of the article are as far from the truth as they well can be, especially such statements as that about Company B. I think that is a deliberate lie, written / by some one for some bad purpose, what that was I can't tell, the facts are that Co. B. has not had but about 90 men sick and well for some time past, and of these about 60 went into the action and our loss was but 8 and every one of those were privates, not a commissioned or non-commissioned officer was hit or hurt in any way.

 

I believe I wrote in my letter of the 4^th that W^m Caban died on the 30^th of June, I should have written, but believe I didn't that our folks sent out a flag of truce a day or two after the action, they got a list of prisoners that the Rebs had taken, among them was W^m H Merrill of Co. B. 3^d N.H. who was wounded, how he came to be left is a mystery to us, but we suppose he must have crawled into the bushes before we retreated so that we didn't see him as we came along. We were all glad to hear that he was alive but sorry he was a prisoner. All the rest of the boys are doing well and some I think will soon be about as well as ever. W^m Marston is gaining as fast as any of them. /

 

I saw Uncle Patterson the other day he appeared well, part of his Regiment is camped about quarter of a mile from ours; I have not seen Uncle Thomas since we left this island but I hear that the "Pocahontas" is in the fleet off Charleston and I think she will not go home till after that place is taken, she may then as her boilers are out of repair.

 

We are all in hopes to hear that Richmond is taken every mail that comes, but M^cClellan seems to move very cautiously, and I suppose he had ought to as it would not do for him to run any risk of defeat. I think if our Generals down here had used more caution we should either have not made any attack, or should have been nearer the city of Charleston at the end of the battle. You must not believe any account you see of any battle except the official one, as there are a great many newspaper correspondents that like to tell big stories even if they have to lie to do it.

 

The picture of Small looks like the man I saw acting as pilot on board the Planter, he is a smart / looking fellow, he is about as big as Mr Stacy: I was sorry afterwards that I didn't have more conversation with him as he appeared very talkative and I suppose I might have gained considerable information from him, but I was very tired and did not feel like talking.

 

Probably the reason the cotton you planted out doors did not grow any faster was that it did not have heat enough, probably as it grows hotter they will grow faster. I hope they will at least blossom before the cold weather comes again as they have a very pretty blossom.

 

I shall not want any clothing of any kind this summer from home, I shall wear woolen shirts and I can draw them here; I think I shall send my vest and gloves home as they are of no use to me now.

 

As I wrote before I do not think we shall have another battle down this way soon, as I think the gunboats will take Charleston, and then some of us will go and garrison it.

 

I don't think our repulse was owing to want of troops, but to lack of siege guns, and probably the reason we did not have them was because Gen. Hunter did not want us to make an attack.

 

I am sorry Vanny is no better hope he will get better soon.

 

Give my respects to all friends tell them I should like to hear from them as often as convenient.                                               

 

Direct as before

John W. Clement

 

Mr John Clement                                            

Exeter N.H.

 

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Our allotment does not take effect this payment, I think I shall send some money home by express.

 

Hebberd is ruptured, but not very badly. his health is good other ways, and he has as good an appetite as any man in the Company. I think he will get his discharge however

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