Morris Island S.C. Nov. 3^d 1863.

 

I rec^d your letter of the 20^th of October together with the "Ballot" of the 15^th the Traveller of the 17^th and the "Weekly" of the 25^th to-day. I was very glad to get them as I had not had any mail matter since the 24^th of Oct. when I got yours of the 13^th, and I have got nothing from any one else lately, but I have had writing enough to do lately as I was detailed by Lieut. Dow who commands Co "B" now to do the Company writing and I have been busy ever since making out the Muster-Rolls etc etc. it is very particular writing too; by doing it I get excused from guard duty, which, as it came my turn once in 3 days is something of a relief. By the way Provost Guard duty is not much different from any other, only we have more prisoners to guard; we always go on guard for 24 hours but each man has to be on guard only 8 hours out of / the 24 and only 2 hours at a time at that, but they have to stay at the Guard House the rest of the time, and their sleep—if they get any—is very much broken, as they have to be waked up at least twice in the night and sometimes more.

 

I am glad to hear that Aunt Harriet is more cheerful than she has been, hope she will continue so as long as she lives. I am very much obliged to her for the slips she sent. I see that some of our relations are getting rich, glad of it; I think that must have been a gay party that went to Chelsea Beach!

 

I suppose by this time that Mrs. Hall has got that box. I sent it Oct 12^th. I shall send a letter to her with $5.00 in it, at the same time I send this, also a list of the articles and the prices I got for them. You will recollect I sent $15.00 by Capt. Jackson last summer. I want you to go and tell her that I have sent the money as soon as convenient after you receive this letter. /

 

George Giddings got back last Sunday. The rest of the men that had furloughs got back a week before he did, but he had an attack of inflammatory rheumatism after he left home, and Dr Buzzell thought he had better stay in N.Y. till the next steamer sailed; He says he came on board the "Fulton" on crutches, but he walks round camp with a cane. He says he saw Father and had quite a long talk with him and meant to have called at the house but he had so many other places to visit that he never got round. He spoke also of meeting Uncle Thomas in the coach, and of their finding each other out; by his talk they had a very pleasant conversation.

 

I shall begin to look for my box pretty soon as I think it must have started before this time; I think I wrote the order for it on the 16^th of Oct. if not before. I should have sent for something better to eat, but I thought if the box should be a good while coming the things would all get spoiled. 

 

I think by what I hear that there is not much chance for Col. Jackson coming back to the Regiment at present; but Giddings thinks Capt Wilburs chance is very good for coming back, or at least for getting his pay for the time he was under arrest. Well let him come if he wants to. I think it would take something better than a Captain's commission to get me back here, if I had once got away.

 

I hope Josiah Taylor, Bruce Brigham and any other Army cripples that may be round Exeter may soon recover. We hear that we are to have 200 or 300 conscripts in our Regiment and the boys don't seem to like the idea very much, as they think the help they will be to us will hardly pay for the trouble of drilling them and making good soldiers of them, especially as most of us have less than 10 months to serve.

 

All the Exeteronians that are with the Regiment are well and send respects to all enquiring friends

                                                           

Yours truly

J W Clement

 

Mr John Clement                                            

            Exeter

                        NH

 

[front top margin]

 

I think by what you say that you will not be likely to quarrel with your new neighbors if you do not like them very well       J.W.C.

SOURCES