Morris Island, S.C. July 19 1863

 

I rec^d yours of July 1^st and 5^th on the 12^th inst. together with a letter from George Eaton and 2 papers, the latest being June 30^th. I should have answered you before this but I have been very busy since then as you will see when I come to tell you what we have done since the 4^th inst. On that day we left St. Helena, having struck tents the night before, we landed about one o'clock on the morning of the 5^th and marched up about 3 miles and pitched tents for the first time on Folly Island, although we landed on it last April.

 

We had hardly got our tents pitched before we started for this island, which we did on the night of the 8^th inst. but owing to some cause of which we soldiers know nothing we did not land but came back again and took a fresh start on the evening of the 9^th; just after sunrise on the morning of the 10^th / our batteries on Folly Island opened on those of the Rebs on this island and in about 3 hours we had driven them off this end of the island, the Infantry having landed from a creek on the back side of the island and charged on the rifle pits. The monitors from the side towards the sea and some howitzers in boats on the other side helped the batteries out.

 

After we landed we marched towards the upper end of the island when Forts "Wagner" and "Sumter" both opened on us and kept it up as long as we staid in that place which was 5 days and 4 nights when we were ordered back to our present camp. On the morning of the 11^th we marched up about half way to Fort Wagner to support some other Regiments while they charged on it. they did not take the Fort.

 

Every night since we moved back we have been on fatigue or picket and before that the Forts were shelling us a good part of the time so you see we have but little sleep. 

 

Our loss in the first attack on the 10^th inst. was 6 killed and 24 wounded. Our Company had 5 wounded in the first charge viz Sam^l C. Abbott, Warren S. Dearborn, Ira P. George, Elisha M. Kempton, Dan^l P. Seaver. 1 was killed from a shot from one of the Forts on the same day, his name was James J. Locke. Melville G Howard was hit in the back by a piece of shell. You will see that but one of the Exeter men was hit viz W. S. Dearborn, he was struck by a piece of shell or something of the sort, in the abdomen. It bruised him. Yesterday about 10 A.M. the wooden gunboats and shore batteries opened on Forts Sumter and Wagner and about 12 M. the Ironsides and monitors got within range and opened, firing principally on Wagner just after dark 8 or 10 Regiments charged on it but were repulsed with a loss of about 1000 killed wounded and missing. Capt. Jackson and 2 others of Co. "B" were slightly injured. Col. Jackson / was slightly wounded and Lt. Col. Bedell so badly that he has gone to Hilton Head. We all hope the Generals will let assaulting Fort Wagner alone as it would soon cost more men than there are in the Department.

 

W^m Morrison has been sick again but is better John Bryant sprained his ankle last week but is not very lame now. Dearborn is well enough to stay round camp. Colbath and Donovan are I suppose at Hilton Head. I have not heard from Horace Hall since we left St Helena. I wrote to his sister about him after he was taken sick. The rest of the Exeter boys are as well as you could expect except L. G. Dudley who has the symptoms of a fever. I was glad enough to get the thread and stamps. Gen's Seymour and Strong are both wounded and Col. Putnam of the 7^th N.H. was killed last night

 

Mr John Clement       

Exeter N.H.

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