St Helena Island, S.C. June 9. 1863.

 

We have had 2 mails in 2 days one yesterday and one to-day. In yesterdays mail I got 3 papers and in to-days I got your letter of June 2^d and paper of May 30^th all of which were very welcome but still I should like to hear in some manner from some one else besides you, in someway or other, but my correspondents seem to have deserted me all at once, the last letter from any one but you I got the 18^th of last month. You will see by the date of this that we have again made a change of base, having come here from Botany Bay I'd last Friday the 5^th inst. Our location is up Broad River from the Head, near its junction with Beaufort River; this is a much larger and more fertile island than Botany Bay but I think it is not so healthy as there are more swamps on it. This is not the island to which N. Bonaparte Esqr. was banished but merely one of the same name 

 

I sent you a "New South" yesterday, which will probably reach you about the same time this does, tho' it may get there a few days before, in it you will see an account of Col. Montgomery's late raid, which must have taken the Rebs by surprise as we have generally kept rather quiet down here or if we did move we have given them such good notice that they have generally been pretty well prepared for us. You will also see that our folks have burned Bluffton, which our Regiment ought to have done a year ago last March when we were up there, as every house we leave standing gives shelter to rebel soldiers, while every one burned deprives them of so much shelter. You probably all know by this time that Capt. Wilbur has at last been kicked out of the Army. The order was read on Dress parade May 31^st; he is still round here but suppose he will go home on the "Arago". We are nearly all of us glad that he has gone, Joe Prescott and one or two more about his style / being the only friends he has got in the Company. You asked me once what John Head meant when he wrote about the milk question, last summer; I am now at liberty to tell you. When we got to the Eddings Plantation on Edisto Island last summer we found a old negro (whose name I think was William) who owned a cow. Of course the men all went in for milk, and bought and paid for all William could spare for one day, and then Capt. Wilbur told him not to sell any more milk to the men as he would take it all himself, which he did; and he and Lieut Ayer and Fogg used it. But when when we came to leave the Capt. paid the old Nig. in promises. The Capt. afterwards tried to get William's cow away from him but William was a little too shrewd for him, and got a Government agent to interfere for him and so saved his cow. I think he never got his pay for the milk, as when we came to Hilton Head from James Island William came into our camp and dunned the Captain for it, and I advised him to go to the Colonel / about it, but he wouldn't.

 

I think I wrote about the stamps as soon as I got them but you had not probably got the letter that I mentioned them in. I like the "Harper's" very much and hope you will keep sending them as well as other papers; send a "Ballot" occasionally as they are getting to be rather a scarce article in camp.

 

Our summer rains have set in, we got a small shower coming down here, and since we have been here we have had a number of very heavy ones, but they effect only those on guard as we have our tents raised up with boards so that they are almost as comfortable as a house. We brought nearly all our boards with us from Botany Bay.

 

Our Company Officers are now, Lieuts Smith, Capp and Morrill none of whom are from Exeter; Lamprey is still with us but Morrison is in the Hospital sick with a fever. Colbath and Donovan are at the General Hospital neither better nor worse. Carver is in camp laid up with a sore finger; all the rest are well as usual

 

I shall send an order for Dividends in this it is good any time from the 1^st of July.

 

J. W. Clement

 

To Mr John Clement                                                              

            Exeter N.H.

 

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I should like to know what is the trouble at Dedham as I have not heard from there lately. not since the 15^th of April.

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