Morris Island S.C. July 29. 1863.

 

Yours of July 19^th & 20^th I rec^d together with a "Ballot" of the 16^th & "Traveller" of the 18^th this morning; also a letter from M. J. Patterson and another from Horace Hall's folks; quite a mail for me but luckily for me it came just as we had got fairly into a new and by far the best camp that we have had since we have been on this island.

 

I believe I wrote you that for the first five days that we were on this island that we lay under the sand hills as well as being under fire, and that at the end of that time moved down towards the beach among some sand hills and just as near the worst looking swamp that I ever saw as I want to be and a good deal nearer than was good for the health of the men, as between fighting, work and malaria from the swamp more than half the Regiment is sick enough to be off duty; I have been sick enough to be off / duty myself, but not what you call sick a-bed, but I take medicine every day and don't stir round much.

 

Our present camp is right on the beach where we get all the sea-breeze and don't get the malaria (bad air) from the swamp. I think the health of the men will improve rapidly now unless they give them too much work to do as we have a much healthier camp ground than we had last year at this time.

 

There has been no fighting by the Infantry since the 18^th inst but the forts and batteries on the Reb side and the gunboats and batteries on our side are firing every day which causes but little loss of life, though occasionally a man is killed or wounded. The only one killed in our Regiment since the 18^th was a young man named Lawrence of Co. "A" who was hit by a piece of shell while at work a few nights since. So far only one Exeter man has been hit at all; I believe you have heard from me of Warren S. Dearborn's case? / He is getting along finely and will probably be out in a month or less. He is a brother of Charles Dearborn who used to keep the "News Depot" in Exeter.

 

I don't know what the loss of our Reg^t in the charge of the 18^th was; it was however small compared with some other Regiments, though ours stood as long if not longer on the glacis of Fort Wagner than any other Regiment in our Brigade, and only left when Gen. Strong ordered a retreat. No paper that I have seen not even the "New South" gives a good account of the charge. They are all taken up with the charge of the Second Brigade, and don't say that ours retreated because the second was not within supporting distance. Our "Color Guard" and a few others went over into to the ditch but soon came out again. Our Lieut. Col. (Bedell) went in and was taken prisoner. Col. Jackson was wounded and also Capt. Clark of Co "A"; they have both gone home. Col Jackson's report to Gov. Berry will / show what our Regiment did in the battles of the 10^th & 18^th also the losses. Woodbury Berry went home with Col. Jackson and I sent by him for a few articles that I needed. If he does not get a chance to bring out a box you can box the things up and send them to me by express. We have were paid off last week but as it seems to be the opinion of the Officers that we shall not be paid off again till for four months I have concluded to keep my money for a while till I see about it.

 

I am sorry to send you sad news, but suppose I shall be compelled to. You will recollect that I wrote you that Horace Hall was taken sick and went to the hospital, the last of June at St. Helena. We left that place on the Fourth of July stopped a few days on Folly Island and came from there here. We heard nothing from Horace till we had been on this island several days when we heard that he had been sent to the General Hospital at Hilton Head and that he was not so well. The next that we heard from him was yesterday when Capt. Jackson rec^d a letter dated the 23^d of July received a letter, dated July 23^d stating that he was dead; they also sent his wallet. I shall write to his folks about him but for fear they should not get it you had better call on them and tell them in as easy way as you can of his death.                                          

 

Yours J. W. Clement

 

Mr John Clement

            Exeter NH

 

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Of course that cake was in good order or you would have found out about it.

 

The Exeter folks are all as well as you could expect in such a place as this. J.W.C.

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