My Dear Wife

W.S.S. Morning Light. Oct 6^th 1862 Galveston

 

            I went in to Galveston Saturday 4^th in. in the gun boat Owasco. The ferry boat ahead then the Harriett Lane then the Owasco then ferry boat Clifton with bomb schooner Henry James in tow. The Morning Light stayed outside I was in hopes the Rebel would make a good fight but they only fired one gun at us from the Fort and a few from the town the gun boats lie off the town in the channel waiting for the Surrender. I wanted to see a good fight before I went home and as I was a sort of pilot over the bar I was ordered on board the Owasco. as we came opposite the Fort they fired at us one solitary shot and the Owasco returned it instantly from her 11 in shell gun the shell burst close to the rebel gun inside the Fort. the other boats fired to quite quick but the Rebels skedadled away from the Fort mighty quick we could see them running for the town as fast as horses could carry them after the little fleet got inside they fired at us some few times but done no damage, their shot falling short, while the shot from our rifled guns dropped amongst them quickly. they did not show half as much fight as I expected / after the gunboats got inside, Capt Renshaw the Senior Officer hoisted a flag of truce and we ceased firing. they sent off a flag of truce but would not surrender the town. Capt R has given them some 3 or 4 days to decide. he dont wish to destroy the town because too many would suffer who are innocent. the Rebel soldiers who ran out of the Fort so quick set fire to their barracks and want to set the town on fire but the citizens wont let them they had a fort on an Island in the harbor but no real guns on it but had two wooden ones painted up nice. the Owasco has got one on her deck. I did not have as good a chance to distinguish myself as I wished but I am satisfied that I did not dodge when the shot came. I guess I have courage enough and can say as much as any one on board here I have been in a battle, not much of a one however but enough to swear by. I landed yesterday and explored the Fort. we found a shirt quite bloody, and a place where someone was hurt and was cruising around when we saw a man from town who told us that one man was wounded but no one killed, that the soldiers had wanted to burn the town, that a great deal of suffering was in town on account of scarcity. he said flour was about $40 a barrel and every thing in proportion. I saw a little girl and her two little / brothers they came down to pick up nails we told them to go ahead and when she went home to tell her mother we did not want to hurt them. the Capt sent a boat in after me yesterday but it blew so hard we could not come out in a boat so we waited till this morning. we stayed on board the Harriet Lane all night. We are going down the coast a little farther and may take a prize or two who knows. I reckon I shall see no more fighting down here for there is no more for the Navy to do just now

 

We have got rid of Mr Spear and are a little more comfortable situated now still it is not like a regular man of war. I am acting as First Lieutenant or as the Executive Officer rather and have quite as easy times as usual. I am half asleep and half sick to day being out in the boat so much in a strong breeze and rough water but will be all right tomorrow.

 

I wrote a letter and sent it by a sailing vessel. You may get this quickest. In that letter I sent you ten dollars which makes $90 ten in this makes $100 write to me & let me know if you have received it all I sent a few lines to Lucy in your letter you can read them and give it to her if you should have an odd turn dont be jealous / because I write to her and dont get mad at the letter I wrote it in fun

 

Kiss Mary D Fred & little Tim I hope to kiss you myself one of these days but when it will be I dont know neither does any one else just now

 

Good Bye & May God Bless you is my prayer

                                               

Your Sincere Devoted

Long suffering Bald headed absent Husband

Henry W Washburn

 

Tell the Little ones Father aint shot

yet & hopes he wont be

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