Camp Palmer Nov 25^th 1862

                                                           

Dear Parents

          I received 3 letters from you 2 or 3 days ago and should have answered them before but our time has been pretty much taken up for the last two or 3 days with Inspections targets shooting and drill we are now encamped at Beaufort S.C. one of the healthiest places in S.C. I am well as nearly all the rest of the boys are only we are getting lazy and lazy the climate is the cause of our being so I suppose we have to drill 1 hour and a half each day from ½ past two untill 4 in the after noon and we think that / is awful we had a sham fight with the Conn battery yesterday there was some fun in that I guess david wont try to be a soldier again I shouldent cared much if they had kept him seeing as it was for only 9 months he would have learnt something I have got a first rate place to sleep 5 of put in a quarter apiece and went down town and got some boxes and floored our tent it is better than sleeping on the ground I can tell you it is getting to be pretty cold down here now they had the Yellow Fever at Hilton head was the reason we left there but the cold weather has knocked that in the head and I shouldent wonder if we went back there / before long our chaplain Mr Wayland has gone home on a furlough you said you wanted my likeness I can get it taken here but it would not look like me Jim Pease had his taken and sent it home if you see that I guess you wont want mine if we go back to the head I can get it taken better Jim dident hardly know his own picture when it was handed out to him there was another fellow from another regiment there getting his taken he looked some like Jim and claimed Jims picture and thought it was his Gen Banks is comeing here with his Division before long and when he gets here we in hand must look out for Charleston / and Savannah will have to take it I gess we cant do nothing without more troops we have tried it 2 or 3 times but its no go

 

Mother wrote and said you was very lonesome in that neighbourhood I should think it would be with so many gone I hope this war will close before long so that some of us may return once more Aunt Harriets cherries went first rate give my love to her and Jenet when you write to them and tell Dan that I should like to have him write to me and send me some old Bruther John we have not seen any snow here yet but expect to before the winter is out I shall not keep Wills picture it would get spoilt in a little while in my knapsack so I will take a good look at it and send it back to you it looks just like all the rest of us only in the features we all look alike outside no more sense

 

write soon from your Son C L Hewitt

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