Morris Island S.C. Sept. 16 1863.

 

I received your letter of the 6^th inst together with the "Traveller" and "Ballot" and a letter from Fogg, day before yesterday, the 14^th inst, but as I had written to you only 3 days before I thought I would put off writing a day or two to see if something would not turn up as Mr. Micawber says.

 

I believe I wrote you that Forts Wagner and Gregg had been evacuated by the Rebs on Sept 7^th, and that our Regiment was doing Provost Guard duty since Sept 11^th. That last is a good deal like keeping jail or state's prison as we have charge of all prisoners both our own and Rebs, till they are sent somewhere else. Cos "A" and "F" have moved up to where the prisoners are kept so that they have at present most of the duty of guarding the prisoners, but the rest of the Regiment has Post Guard duty, and enough other extra guard duty so they are on / guard once in three days. The duty we are doing now is not quite so dangerous but about as disagreeable as what we have been doing. I have been on duty ever since the 7^th inst and for the most part of the time since the 24^th of August; Dr. Burnham would only put me off duty when there was nothing to do and so I made up my mind not to go to see him as I didn't think the medicine he gave me did me any good, and I thought I could go on duty just as well without his telling me as with.

 

On the 8^th inst. the ironclad "Weehawken" got aground between this island and Sullivan's I'd and Fort Moultrie and the rest of the batteries on that side opened fire on her so that the rest of the ironclads had to help her out of the scrape. They went up about 8 o'clock in the forenoon and fired till 5 in the afternoon when the Weehawken got afloat; in the forenoon the W. blew up a large magazine in Fort Moultrie, in the afternoon a shell from some of them set a house on fire and during the afternoon about a dozen buildings were burnt. since / then there has not been much firing on either side, but an occasional shot from Sullivan's or James Islands and occasionally a shot from our batteries in return; yesterday a shell from one of our batteries blew up a magazine on James Island. I saw smoke and dust but could hear no report, as it was as much as 2 miles from me and the wind was the wrong way.

 

I have got Horace's things all ready but the Officers don't seem to try to do much about it, so it will not go in the boat that goes to-morrow, it may go in the next one and it may not. As to Capt. Wilbur I think he will see to removing Horace's remains when he gets here especially if he has to wait till Col. Jackson works for him. If he does come here I think it think it will be all he will want to do to attend to his own carcass, without doing anything about others. If he should try to do any such thing it would be for the purpose of making money, as that has been his only object since he first got / got his recruiting papers.

 

About those stripes they are the same kind that Capt. Wilbur deprived me of at Washington, and are nothing more nor less than a Corporal's chevrons, which are not quite so high as a Major General's shoulder-straps. I should think it had been as sickly in Exeter as it had been here, considering the different style of living &c. I was surprised to see that W^m Odlin was 70 years old. I hope you will not send those socks till I send for them.

 

Those 2 cent stamps are the first I had seen that had not been used, they and the others will come in very handy.

 

I am sorry the gourds do not turn out any better, hope George Eaton's will do better. We heard last night that the Rebs had evacuated Chattanooga. What place can they hold?

 

All the Exeter boys are well or in a comfortable state of health as far as I know. Warren Colbath is the only one that I have not heard from for some time. we know about as much of Hilton Head as if it was in Europe.

 

Give my respects to all who enquire by letter or otherwise especially Aunt Harriet.

 

Yours

J. W. Clement

 

Mr John Clement                                            

Exeter N.H.

 

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They are giving furloughs again

George Giddings is said to be the lucky man this time but he has not gone yet

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