Morris Island S.C. Jan 7. 1864.

 

Your letter of Dec 22^d together with 2 bundles of papers of various kinds and dates, 6 in all I believe, came to hand day before yesterday. I also received a letter dated Dec 27^th and paper from George Eaton by the way of Ward Leavitt.

 

I should have answered your letter yesterday but had not quite finished the writing that I have to do the first part of every month, but as it is now about finished I will try and give you a few items such as they are, for there is not much going on on this island, and we scarcely hear more from any other place in this department than as if we were on the moon. As a specimen of the swiftness of communication in this part of the world I will just state that the mail which brought your letter arrived at Hilton Head on the 2^d of January, so you see it took just 3 days for it get over the 60 miles that divide the two places. Those that are best posted say that one of those days was occupied in getting / it from the lower end of Folly Island which is about 9 miles from here.

 

I think this thing should be remedied, and I also think it would be if the Boston and New York papers would take the matter up in behalf of the soldiers. I think the soldiers have hardships enough, without keeping their letters and papers from them till they are a fortnight or three weeks old and express packages from one to six months.

 

The weather is still cold, windy and rainy and has been so most of the time for about a month, with now and then a gleam of sunshine just enough to tantalize us. About a month ago a large slice of the bank washed away and now more is washing away. We should not care if the whole island washed away if we only had time to get off of it before it was quite all gone.

 

The victory for which the salute was fired was at Chattanooga, there has been none fired since then though there have been greater victories since then

I shall send my diary home soon, so you can / see what I have been doing since the 1^st of April, with a short sketch of our sojourn on Pinckney Island last spring. I think after we have been paid off again I shall send home some money, and perhaps a sketch of a small spot on this island if I can get it.

 

I don't know why certain men get furloughs, unless you can tell why some men get office, it is not always the men that have done the best nor the men whose health is poorest, though furloughs are sometimes given to sick men; it seems to be like a good many other things in the Army and the world a kind of favoritism that is used. I dont know but Carver deserved a furlough as much as any one, though I have known men to have them that I thought did not deserve them.

 

Yesterday morning 7 sailors from the rebel gunboats in Charleston Harbor came into our lines. they say there is hard times in Charleston, between starving and shelling.

 

Jan. 8. I have just received your letter of Dec. 29^th and was glad to hear that you were still in your usual health. 

 

George Eaton wrote that Josiah Taylor was going back to his Regiment. Perhaps his health will improve after he gets back, sometimes that is the case with persons that have been taken sick in the summer time at the South they will get better by going back in the winter. I hope such will be his luck at any rate.

 

I believe I have written that my box had come and that Carver had arrived with the bundle that you sent by him.

 

I hope Martha Hall will succeed in writing the next time she tries.

 

Give my respects to Aunt Harriet and Cousins and all who may enquire for me by letter or word of mouth.

 

The only kind of shells I have seen since I have been on this island were made of cast iron and I suppose L. A. dont want any of that kind. The only place that I know of that there are any sea shells is at Bay Point.

 

It is very hard work for me to write a letter. Yours &c

J. W. Clement

 

To Mr John Clement                                                  

            Exeter

                        N.H.

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