Stony House plantation, SC. Apr 24^th, 1862

 

Dear Sister, and Brother,

Well, here I am again, trying to write, but I cant hold my hand still, and my arm is very lame, the effects of playing ball, but it is so warm to day that we cant play ball.

 

            I am well as usual and hope this will find you the same. I wrote you a letter last week. I got four letters last week and since then I have wrote ten letters. I have wrote one to Smith Wilson.

 

            Monday night of this week, we were called out again. about ten oclock we heard one of the cavalry messengers come to the house and pretty soon the Orderly (Sam Haynes) came around to the tents and looked in, and told us to turn out. Well, we turned out and and the Cap^t took twenty of us and went to the ferry, where our pickets are stationed. and the Orderly took the rest of the men and went with two boats around by water to the ferry. we heard that the rebels pickets had been fixing some boats to come over and take our pickets. / Well when we had got to the ferry and found that the pickets did not know anything about it, and there was a steamboat anchored there at the ferry, so we was'nt afraid of the secesh coming over. I took 11 of the men and went back to the quarters. Well, about two oclock, another dispatch came for us all to go to the ferry again. Well we turned out and went to the ferry and stayed until daylight, but nary a rebel did we see.

 

            We have just heard that the old Merrimack is sunk. She undertook to run out of the river by fortress Monroe, and our men dropped a few balls onto her from the old Union gun that lays on the beach, (the balls of the union gun weigh about 600 pounds,) and she went to the bottom. Well, I am getting sleepy, so I will wait until tomorrow. Mary, how do you spell the word, until, or untill. I spell it, until.

 

            Ap^r 25^th 1862. Well, no mail yet, so I will try and finish this to day I have sent you some more money, 30 dollars to Henry Sherwood. you will get it of him

 

Oh! what warm weather we do have now, so hot that we have to set in the shade. 

 

            Well, now I will try and give you a discription of some of the eatables that we have to eat. once in a while, we had some to day for dinner, it is called mixed vegetables. it is composed of cabbage, carrot, parsnip, potato, corn, turnip, pumpkin. well, there is to many different kinds to mention them all, there is every thing that you can think of that is fit for any body to eat. it is all chopped up together and then pressed into cakes. when it is cooked, it is picked to pieces and soaked a while, and then boiled, and it is made into soup. it tastes some like your parsnip stew, but not quite so good. well, supper is ready and I must adjourn a few moments.

 

well, supper is over. we had coffee, fresh beef, good light bread, and potatoes, and now the boys are playing ball again they have chosen me, but I thought that I would finish this before dress parade, which we have every night, and drill twice every day. next week, Wednesday, we will be mustered for pay again.

 

            well, I must bring this to a close. you must write often, not wait for my letters to come before you write. / fowler says he dont care whether you write to him or not, he is cooking yet. I send my respects to all inquiring friends and to the girls in particular I send my love. I wish that I had some of your warm sugar, and I wish you had some of our warm weather. so I bid you good by. I remain as ever your brother,

                                                                                               

Wm Chase,

to G. W. & Mary Kennedy

Stony Fork,

Tioga Co.

Penna.

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