Graham's Plantation, 

Hilton Head S.C. July 28. 1862

 

Yours of the 13^th & 15^th I rec^d on the 23 and Journals of the 5^th & 10^th on the 24^th inst I was glad to hear from you but I think unless you hear from me it would be just as well if you did not write every week, especially if you could contrive to send me a Saturday evening Traveller; it is about the same as a weekly paper as it has a summary of the news of the week and the latest telegraphic news of Saturday; you could read it Sunday and then send it right along and it would save you the trouble of writing when you have nothing in particular to write, and no letter from me to answer I do not write this to prevent you from writing when you wish to, but I tho't it might save you some trouble, when you felt tired and perhaps sick. At the same time I shall of course be glad to hear / from you as often as I can.

 

I suppose my letter of the 4^th went in the same mail as that of the 7^th, but it might have got miscarried some way as we were about moving at that time.

The map of James Island altho' it does not give the whole of the island, gives a better idea of the plan of the battle than anything I have seen, our route was about the same as that of Wright's Brigade, our Regiment and the 3^d R.I. went further than any of them. I saw a letter of Gen Stevens' in the Journal of the 18^th which gives my idea of how the battle ought to have been conducted, and all who were in the battle say the same.

 

I was in hopes to hear by the last mail of the fall of Richmond but it seems as if there had been mismanagement somewhere but where it is I of course cannot say; it seems as if with the army we have got that men enough might have / been got before Richmond to have gone in without much opposition.

 

I have not much hope of the war ending before next spring nor of getting home before my three years are out; tomorrow is the first anniversary of my enlistment so that I have but two years more to stay at any rate if I have so long.

 

I have sent home twenty dollars ($20) by express, and last week I sent my watch by Sergeant Francis A. Dunn of Danville, if he gets home I think you will get the watch, tho' he may have to send it part way by express. I want you to get it cleaned and keep it for me, as camp is no place for a good watch.

 

If you have not sent the second box of ointment you need not as according to appearances one box will last me some time; I have not used any of it lately as I was afraid to use it too freely. I have one or two places that I must touch / with it tonight—

 

My health is very good and so is that of most of the Company. John Head is with us and on duty for the first time for a long time. D. W. Elliott was here last week his arm is getting along finely, he said W^m Marston had walked so much lately that it has put him back some but not seriously. The rest of the wounded are getting along as well as the hot weather will admit; they will probably be sent north as fast as possible

 

It was not expected to get any prisoners with back by the Flag of Truce but merely to find out who were alive and whether they were wounded or not; when there is another exchange of prisoners, Merrill if alive may get away.

 

Give my respects to friends &c and tell them I should like to hear from them as often as usual. Direct as before                    

John W. Clement

 

To Mr John Clement  Exeter N.H.

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