Fort Drayton. Otter Island. SC.

May 18^th 1862

                       

Dear Brother and Sister.

Yours of the 30^th Ap^r I rec'd in due time. it found me well, as usual. I should have wrote before but had not time until to day for we are busy now. we have to come out to roll call at sunrise, breakfast at 6 oclock, then one hours drill from 7 to 8, then at guard mounting at nine oclock, the whole Com has to go out with our knapsacks on. then a Sergeants drill from 10 to 11. dinner at 12 oclock, then a Corporals drill from 1 to 2, then Company drill from four to 6, dress parade at half past 6, then supper at 7 oclock. then the boys run for the salt water. you can see them pitching and diving in every direction. well the band is playing for dinner, so I will have to postpone writing a few minutes.

                                                                                   

Half past two oclock.

then at nine oclock roll call again and then we have to make up our beds and go to bed. at half past nine there is / three taps on the bass drum, when the lights must be put out, and then the fun begins, for we have to fight fleas and gnats all night. we have got our old crew in our tent again. Sam Haynes, W^m Chase, E. B. Carvey, D. C. Haig, Decater Dickman, S. Houghton, J. E. Catlin, J. H. Buckly, P. R. Sherman, M. D. Wilson, T. F. Kennedy, J. E. Jones, C. H. Townsend, W. E. Tyler, and when he gets back, J. M. Cole will be with us, we have some gay old times once in awhile. we have got another suit of clothes come on for us. Sky blue pants. the Sergeants have all got swords to carry and the musicians to. I have one to take care of and there is epaulets for every man in the reg't. there is a bale of stuff marked mosquito bars. I think that those will be a fine thing to keep the flies away from us, but I dont see what we will do with all of our clothes. we have got more clothes now than we can carry. the Old Col says that when we go home, he wants us to look decent. he thinks that we will be home before the summer is ended. I dont hardly think that we will but I hope so. Oh! how hot the sun does come down to day. 

 

            Well, I guess that we will have some rain before long, for it has been thundering for the last hour. it is in the direction of Charleston and I dont know whether it is cannon or thunder. we have heard so much cannonading that I cant hardly tell them apart but I think that this is thunder for it is very black and dark off that way. George did not say whether he had money enough or not. I can send some more when we get our pay again. we have two months pay due us now. the mail boat will be here pretty soon and I think that we will have some mail. we heard yesterday that there was a mail boat come to port royal, so I will wait untill the boat comes.

                                                                                   

Monday morning May 19^th 1862

            We had a very heavy shower last night and very heavy thunder to. the mail boat did not come last night and as I have got to go on guard at nine oclock, I thought that I would try and finish this before I went on guard. there is a boat load of men going to another Island after blackberrys. there aint any on this Island, but there is plenty of them on the other Islands around this. 

 

I cant think of anything else to write this morning so I will have to stop writing for this time. tell Aunt Betsy that I dont know whether I shall get back there this summer time enough to do anything to that house. fowler says that you wont write to him if he stays here all summer. give my love to all. direct as before. write often. this from your brother, the soldier boy.                                                                            

W^m Chase,

to G. W. & M. Kennedy

Stony Fork

Penna.

SOURCES