Morris Island S.C. Jan. 31. 1863.

 

I rec^d your letter of Jan. 17^th day before yesterday, also the Ballot and Traveller sent at the same time, for all of which I felt very thankful. The more mail matter I get the better I like it, but there is a little difficulty about answering my letters as there is no news to write, or not much at any rate, and what I do write I have to work for. There is one thing which I will mention now I think of it as I have tried to think of it for a number of the last letters I have written you. I suppose you recollect that in the last box I sent for you put in 2 caps and 2 rubber covers, and I should like to have you send the prices of them as I have sold one of the caps and one of the covers, / and don't know what price to ask the young man I sold them to, so that he can't pay me, which he would do if I knew how much to ask him for them.

 

I suppose that John Bryant has arrived in Exeter before this time as he started from here on the 20^th inst. I hope he will have a pleasant visit. tell him so if you see him.

 

There is not much going on here now except that our folks keep a constant firing on Fort Sumter (or the ruins of the same) and Charleston, with an occasional shot at James or Sullivans Islands. the Rebs fire back occasionally and once in a while work away pretty lively but dont do any harm. Last night three deserters came in from James Island, they were on picket and took a boat that happened to be floating round loose and came over to our pickets on Black Island and / and were then brought here, as all deserters have to be brought to the Provost Guard. They had a Charleston Mercury of yesterday with them, which gave an account of a flying machine some one is trying to get up in Charleston for the purpose of dropping shells into our camps and so driving us away; my opinion is that if we stay here till they drive us off in that manner, the youngest boy among us will be a grey-headed old man before we leave here.

 

This afternoon there was a large fire in the vicinity of Secessionville, but whether it was the town itself or some bushes in the vicinity we could not tell, as it is some distance from here.

 

For a little more than a week the weather has been quite warm, a week ago to-day the thermometer in Col. Jackson's tent stood at 80° / at noon, but at night it went down to 40°. I don't suppose there is as much difference as that every day, but there is some, as the nights are still cool enough to make sleeping under two blankets quite comfortable, and I suppose we shall have more cold days before the first of April, though not so many much as we have had since the last of September.

 

I should very much like to hear from Aunt H. or any one else that has time and opportunity to write. Give my respects to her and all relatives and friends who enquire for me.

 

I should probably have said that those men that were wounded last summer were being discharged and so they are giving out their guns and equipments to the recruits. It would be rather hard for me to clean my gun with the stockings you sent me, as in the first place my gun was given to a recruit more than a fortnight ago, and secondly I mean to wear the stockings as long as I am in the service.

 

Be sure and tell me the price of that cap & cover and also how you like my picture.

 

The Exeter folks here are all well as far as I know, and send respects to their friends.

                                                           

Yours truly

J. W. Clement

 

Mr John Clement                                                        

Exeter N.H.

 

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I suppose that

John Head will

get to Exeter

before this letter

does, as he went

in the last

Steamer,

and that

we shall be

paid off soon

as the Pay-

master has

paid some

of the Regts

already—

I see by the papers

that the 32^d

Mass. Regt.

was on the

way home so

I suppose Cous

in Mary will

see her hus-

band again

if she has not

already.

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