Hilton Head, S.C. Jan. 31. 1863.

 

Yours of the 20^th inst. I rec^d last Wednesday the 28^th also the "Traveller", both of which I was very glad to get.

 

I was glad you wrote the particulars of Vanny's funeral, and also that so many friends and neighbors attended. I think it shows a friendly spirit. I think Dr Cummings must be mistaken as to his disease as I never heard of a case of it so far north.

 

By the way I have got my old place, though Fogg is not Captain, but merely commands the Company while the Captain is under arrest; I knew I had mentioned it in one of my letters and thought I had to you, probably I intended to mention it and then forgot to; I very often think I will write so-and-so in a letter, and then forget one or two items. It was of no very great importance any way.

 

As I wrote in my last several ironclad gunboats have arrived here; we hear them occasionally up towards Savannah, probably they are feeling their way up the river to find what they have got to contend with in case of an attack. They have got some very heavy guns on board, when they fire it sounds like a powder-mill blowing up. I don't know what they are waiting for here, but suppose it must be for reinforcements, as I know of none having arrived here. Both the land and naval forces are very busy making preparations, but when they will move or whether our Regiment will go I do not know as yet, as the Generals do not choose to tell us in advance, but wait till the time comes and then we are ordered to march; they do not give us any choice in that any more than the Government does in Officers. They both act their own good will and pleasure without regard to common soldiers / But I think that in about eighteen months from now, if not before, they will have to speak in a very loud tone of voice to make me do anything that I don't want to. Last Wednesday was the first day of the nineteenth month since I enlisted.

 

I hope that now you can you will all take more time to go out and go visiting than you have as I think it will be for your benefit to do so.

 

Eve. We have had a Review by Gen. Terry, the commander of our Brigade. he complimented the men, but thought the Officers were hardly prompt enough.

I see by today's "New South" that the firing was not in the Savannah River but at "Fort McAllister" on the Ogeechee River; the Rebel steamer "Nashville" lies under the guns of the Fort surrounded by piling so that the "Montauk" cannot get very near, but she dismounted three guns on the Fort; though the Rebs hit her sixteen / times they made no impression on her.

 

I think they will try it again as our folks have now got the Negro who took up the piling and let the "Nashville" in and then drove it down again. He deserted from the Rebs with four others in a small row boat.

 

Since I stopped writing this forenoon quite a number of transports have come in loaded with troops so I suppose as soon as they are landed and everything is ready some of us will start for Charleston or Savannah and perhaps both and I am pretty confident that before the first of March our troops will occupy both places.

 

I don't know as I want anything except letters and papers, though in the present scarcity of money a few postage stamps would not go bad. By the way I don't care who writes the letters or sends the papers, any of my friends can do it.

 

My health is good and so I believe is that of all the Exeter boys, except Jere Weeks who is quite sick to-day.

                                               

 

Yours

John W Clement

 

Mr John Clement                                

            Exeter N.H.

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