Hilton Head S.C. Sept. 14. 1862

 

Yours of the 2^d inst together with a Traveller of the 30^th ult were rec^d on the 12^th, also a letter and paper from George Eaton, all of which I was glad to receive; I sent you a letter and a copy of the "New South" by Sam^l Caban who started from here on the 9^th inst, and is I suppose at home by this time, the letter was rather short, as I had been on guard the night before and was very sleepy when I wrote it, as you will see by the way some of the pencil marks run.

 

I knew of Uncle Patterson's Regiment was going to Virginia, and meant to have mentioned it but forgot it every time I wrote. Lieut Ayer tells me he has resigned and gone home. Uncle told me on James Island that he was sick of the service and should probably resign.

 

The weather continues cool and hot by turns and the health of the Regiment is improving slowly. no one in our Company has been taken sick since I last wrote except / W^m Marston, none of them are very sick and quite a number of them are getting better, though hardly any of them are on duty yet, though as we don't have anything to do but camp guard duty and three hours drill each day it dont come very hard on us.

 

The news that we get from Virginia is not very satisfactory as yet, the latest that we have seen our Army appeared to be falling slowly back towards Washington and the Rebs were following them up about as fast as it was comfortable to have them.

 

We hear a rumor that M^cClellan has bagged Stonewall Jackson's Army, but we dont believe that nor any other rumor, we dont hardly believe the news that is in the papers till it has been confirmed two or three times; if it was not for the Government documents at Washington I should be glad to see the Rebs take the place on account of the mean contemptible way in which affairs have been managed / by our rulers; the worst thing that has been done in my opinion, was stopping enlistments last winter, and whatever Senator Wilson may say, nearly every man in the Army lays most of the blame to him.

 

Politicians brought on this war and it seems as if they meant to keep it going as long as possible, but as soon as two or three victories are gained they go to work to neutralize the effect of them; if they had more men round Washington last winter than were of use they might have sent enough down here to have taken Charleston and Savannah which could have been taken much easier then than now, and Gen Sherman would not have been blamed for not doing anything, though he did all any man could do with the force he had—for before the middle of April we had the whole coast from Edisto down to St Augustine including Fort Pulaski.

 

If Gen. Hunter had had the forty thousand men promised him some of us would prob- / ably have been in Charleston before now and some in Savannah too, and stopped their building rams there for our gunboats to take before or after they are finished.

 

Speaking of gun-boats, where is Uncle Thomas now? I haven't heard a word from him for a good while, but should like to very much.

 

Give my respects to all enquiring friends, tell them I am well and hope they are. I like to have forgotten to mention that we have got a number of recruits in the Regiment, we have got twelve of them in our Company. nobody that I ever knew is among them. They got here day before yesterday with Capt Allen of Co C. in the steamer Chester C C George C Collins.      

 

Yours &c J. W. Clement

 

To Mr John Clement  Exeter NH                   

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