Hilton Head S. C. Sept. 7^th. 1862

 

As I suppose Sam^l Caban will start for home sometime this week I thought I would take the opportunity to send a few lines free from postage.

 

I rec^d yours of Aug 10^th on the 2^d inst just one week after I got yours of the 17^th. the mails seem to run rather queerly in this part of the world. I also rec^d the Traveller of the 23^d Aug on the 2^d of Sept.

 

And I would just say that as the sickly season is over that you need not send any more pepper or tea. I said the sickly season is over but there are more sick now than ever in this Regiment, but most of them were taken last month. I think as the season gets cooler there will be less sickness, though of course there will be some sick all the time, but more in the summer than in winter. 

 

            Sept. 9.

All that I ever heard about the death of Merrill was that some of our Co saw it in the northern paper copied from a Charleston paper.

 

I send a "New South" of Sept 6^th by which you see that we have some late news. We have dates to Sept. 3 giving the news of more battles and of the death of Gens. Kearny and Stevens. it was a pity to lose Gen Stevens for he was a very smart man and would have made his mark if he had lived. Since I wrote Sunday W^m Marston has been taken sick but not seriously I believe.

 

I am sorry that you had so much trouble about my watch, and hope it will go well enough to pay you for your trouble. I am too sleepy to write

Sam will tell you the news

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