Sunday                       

Stony House Plantation, SC. Jan 12^th 1862

 

Kind Friends,

            Well here we are yet, way down in the Palmetto state. I have waited for a letter about a month, and now I shall have to write another one, and after this, I shall write one every week, and I want you to do the same. I rec'd two letters last week, one from Daniel, and one from Wilson Chase. he wrote that the folks were all well out there in bradford. Dan wrote that they had gone into winter quarters, and that he was well, but we dont have to go into winter quarters down here, for we dont have any winter here, but we are in very good quarters. we have moved about ten miles since I wrote to you before. there is but one Company in a place now. we are quartered in a very nice house, and there is another camp within two miles of us in another house. our house has six rooms, four below and two above, all done off very nice. / And there is the prettiest door yard that you ever see, trees of ever discription and vines, and rose bushes with roses in full bloom, and here is some I send to Margaret. Orange trees a plenty, but the oranges are all gone. there is some sweet potatoes here, and oysters no end to them. we can open them ourselves, or get them of the niggers for five cents a cup full, and you better believe that we eat some. we had a nigger wedding last thursday night. some of the boys told them that we had a man that could marry them, so that it would stand law, and they said that was what they wanted. So old massa could no part them, if he should come back again. so when they got ready, they called for the Elder, and he went in and went through with the ceremony, and you had ought to have heard the smack the bride got, it sounded like pulling a horses foot out of a mudhole. they gave us all an invite, we staid until after supper. they had a gay old supper, the wedding cake was a hoecake. / Some of our boys had a piece of the wedding cake. they offered me a piece, but I did not like the style, and then they had some coffee and crackers that we give them. after the knot was tied some of the boys told Chet to salute the bride. there I came pretty near telling you who it was, may be that you knew him, it was Chester Ellis from pine Creek. well, to get out of it and not kiss the bride, he said that it was not fashionable in his neighbourhood well enough of that, there is about half of our company out on guard and picket all the time. our pickets are in sight of the rebels. some of company I's men exchanged shots with them the other day. there the boys puts me in mind of home, when we used to have a fire place. the boys have got a fire made up, and we are all to home. there is a fire place in every room up stairs and down. the windows have got shutters inside and out. the Cap^t and Lieu^t occupies two room, and the Com is divided into four squads for the other rooms. /

 

there was a nigger drowned here to day. there is an agent staying here for the government. he is working the niggers, making them pick cotton. to day he went out in a little boat with a couple of niggers to the steamboat that is loading cotton, and when the steamer started, they tied their boat behind the steamer, and it turned over and drowned one of the niggers. the were picked up in a boat. well I shall have to stop for it is getting most bedtime. give my love to all inquiring friend, and tell them to write. now be sure and write every week for I shall. Direct, Port Royal, SC, Col Welsh's 45 reg^t Com I, PaV.

 

PS. Now read M. D. Wilsons letter,

                       

I remain as ever,        

Wm Chase

to G. W. and Mary Kennedy.

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