Buckingham ferry, SC. May 2^nd, 1862

                       

Dear Friends. One and all,

Well, here I am once more, and well as usual, and I hope this will find you the same. I am out where I can see the secesh once more. we have a very large spy glass here that we can see them very plain with. Corporal Vet Haughton and 18 men are here with me. I think that we will stay here twenty days. no mail come yet. it has been two weeks, to day, since we have had any mail, but when it does come we will have something to do, to read the tender lines and answer them again.

 

well we dont have much of anything to do but to write, and read love letters, but I must write two or three letters every week, whether I get any or not, so that you can hear from here if the mail goes out from here. Oh! what lots of black berrys we have down here now. they grow on the ground on running vines, all over the fields that have lain over one year without being worked. they would eat very well if the sugar did not taste so strong of money. / We have to pay 15 cents per pound for sugar, brown sugar at that. Oh! how I wish that I had some of your maple sugar.

 

            I think if I could have a small cake to carry in my pocket, I could eat berrys very well. well, supper is about ready and I will have to stop awhile.

                       

Sunday, May 4^th 1862.

            Well, the mail has come, and I only got one letter, and that was from Mainsburg, so I will have to finish this without hearing from delmar. I thought we use to have some warm weather up in penna. but it dont begin with what we have here now, but I guess we will stand it. we are where we can take a bathe in the salt water every day. most all of the boys have been in swimming this morning. I think that I will try it some time to day. we were mustered for pay again last Wednesday, and if you want any more money let me know in your next letter, and I will send you some more. as I sit here writing, I can look out of the tent door and look over the cotton fields, corn fields, miles in length, the fields begin to look green with the cotton and corn. 

 

            I think there must be a hole in the post office department some where, for I ought to have had about a dozen letters by this time. Well here comes a drove of contrabands, mostly women. now they are having a time looking through the glass at the secesh. there is two or three in sight over at the write house. there is three men stays there for pickets and when they see a steamer go by, they start one of them for their camp, to carry the news.

 

            Well, I haint any news to write, for there is nothing going on about here, but there will be something done pretty soon for there is a schooner coming up against the wind, and it comes pretty slow. some of the boys have took the boat and are going out to get some whiskey.

 

            the boys have come back without any whiskey. they went out to the schooner but there were so many officers on board they would'nt let them come on board. J. E. Jones went on board of it yesterday and got two or three gallons of whiskey. Some of the boys felt their oats last night. Well I guess this will do for this time. When I get a letter from you, I will write more. I shall write every week whether I / get any from you or not. well the cook is getting dinner, and I have got to write two more letters to day, so I will bring this to a close. direct as before. I send my best respects to all. I remain as ever your brother.

                                                                                   

W^m Chase, Commanding

at Buckingham ferry. SC. to

G. W. & M. Kennedy

Stony Fork,

Penna

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