Stony House plantation, South Carolina. Feb 11^th 1862

                                                                                               

Kind Friends,

Well, may be you hant like the stile of this letter, you may think that paper is scarce, down here, but after you get over this half sheet, you will think that we have some big paper down here. well I think we have some for I have wrote one of these sheets full to father, finished it to day, and now, here goes for another small letter. We heard to night that there was a mail came in to day, but I cant wait for that. I got a piece of a letter to night from S. B. Warriner, he said that you told him that if I could not, or was not agoing to answer them three letters, that you had sent me, you wished that I would send them back again. Well, if you have wrote any more letters than I have since I have been in the service, I will send them back to you, or I will send you two to one. I have wrote you a letter every week since we have been down in South Carolina. last week I wrote seven letters in three days, and I expect to have to write as many this week.

I had a letter last week from Counsin Mary Hurlburt, she is living with her mother this winter. her post office address is Mclean, Tompkins County, NY. she wanted you to write to her. I answerd her letter the same day, and sent her your address.

 

Corporal James M. Cole started for home yesterday morning he is to be gone untill the first of July, he is appointed by government to recruit for the Penn regiments, he will probably be up there before you get this. I believe that I wrote you about seeing the rebels when I wrote last week. Well, the next day, some of Company D's men went out to have a time with the rebels Well, they went up within ten rods of the shore, when the rebels came out and fired on them and hit one of them and broke his arm all to pieces. they came back then satisfied. they went over there once before and got a man shot, but that was by their own carelessness. one of them shot himself in the leg, but this last time they did not load their guns at all. there is nothing going on down here. We can hear the cannon every day, down toward Savannah. Well, I cant write much more to night for it is getting late, and I will wait until the mail comes tomorrow /

                                   

February the 12^th, 1862.

            Well, the mail has not come yet, but as I had a little time to spare, I thought I would try and write a little more. it is a very nice and warm day here. this paper is some that our new recruits got up to baltimore. they cut it out of some old ledgers and other blank books. we have not got our pay yet. I dont know what the boys will do for tobacco. they have got out of money and tobacco both. I have lent ten or twelve dollars to the boys. Well, I must stop now, for the drum is rolling and I must put on my harness and go out and drill the company about two hours or more.

 

Well, now here we are done drilling, and supper is over, and candles lit. I will try and write a little more. I did not have to drill the whole Company, only part of them, and the next sergeant, C. M. Hart, drilled the rest of the Company.

 

there is some Cavalry staying with is. there is a regiment of Mass Cavalry on this island, and there is half a dozen of them comes here and stays about three days, and then some more comes and relieves them.

 

Well the mail has not come yet, and I must wait until tomorrow, and then may be there will be somthing new to write about. so good night.

                                                                                               

Feb 13^th 1862.

            No mail this time, so I shall have to finish this I have been over to head quarters to day and there hasn't any mail come this time some of our Company have gone to bull island again to day. they have gone with a big boat to get a load of cotton. I wrote a letter to Sam Warriner last night. it will come in the same mail with this Mary, if I dont forget it, I will send you a good steel pen to write with so you can write a letter. I would send a bottle of ink if I could put it in a letter.

 

            Well, I guess that I have wrote enough for this time. I want you to write about half as much the next time that you write. well I must stop for I shall have to go and drill pretty soon. give my love to all inquiring friends, if any there should be. this is a very lazy day down here to day. it seems like spring of the year. I see a contraband making garden to day. Write soon Direct as before, port royal, S.C. Col Welsh's 45 reg^t

Com I. Penna Vol. this from your brother, Wm Chase

           

to G. W. & Mary Kennedy, Stony fork, Tioga Co. Penna

SOURCES