H.Q. 169 Regt N.Y.S.Vols

Camp on Folly Island                        

Monday Oct 26^th /1863

 

Dear Mother & sister

                your kind note of the 15^th inst reached me in due time which told me of the good health of you all & I can assure that I am enjoying the same blessing the weather is growing very cool here now nights and for a couple of days it has been chilly enough to make a fire feel very comfortable we also begin to have an occasional shower of rain there is no news of any importance now as everything is quiet on the islands we do not fire scarcely a shot and the rebs only a few which they fire at our workmen in battery / Waggoner & Gregg we drill three hours now per day on the beach which by the way is a very nice place to drill after the tide has gone out it is just like a board so level & smooth there is a transport just going a round the point we all think that we will soon see pat Murphy as we expect him on this boat and we are all very anxious to see him so that we may hear from home as we expect he will have a message for mostly all of us but we may get disapointed but I hope not one of the men in our company from Glens Falls his name is Patrick Farrell received very bad news from home the last mail his wife is dead she being sick only three days before she died he is going home on a furlough as quick as patrick murphy arrives here poor man I pity him he feels so bad he has got only one child three years of age but god is good & knows what is best let his will be done 

 

I recd a letter from Cousin Mary Lyle yesterday & have sent an answer to you to day to superscribe it for me and send it to her I have not recd any from mary Roberts yet nor neither have I got any from James Hains but I hope I will soon get it Dear Sister I am very thankful to you for those sandy Hill Heralds & I wish you would send an albany journal when you have an opertunity of doing so I think Dear sister that you imagine a soldiers life to be harder than it realy is there is a great deal of pleasure connected with a soldiers life which makes time pass very speedily but enough of that I think we will all be home soon if rosencrans defeats the enemy now at that point that is probaly what we are waiting for here on morris island to se how he will operate if he gains a victory charleston will not long survive it she will soon go to / ruin but enough for this time I think that I will draw this to a close by sending you my love and hopeing this will reach you in due time and that I may read a speedy answer I remain your affectionate son & brother

 

James Caton

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