Received 10^th Feb^y—

 

U.S.S. "Morning Light" Nov 29^th 1862

 

Dear Father

            I have not received a single line from you since I became a Naval Officer. I think it very strange you do not write as I have written to you every time I have any news worth writing about. I should think you would be writing Acting Master H.W.W. on every scrap of paper you could find.

 

I am now the Senior Officer on board or as they are now styled Executive Officer almost if not quite as important as the Captⁿ. 1^st Lieutenant I am called on board and have the same duties to perform, only I am a volunteer and not a commissioned. I have landed on the coast of Texas with boats crews several times for different purposes, sometimes overhauling small craft other times for fresh beef, but no fun till yesterday.

 

The day before yesterday (Thanksgiving) I landed with 3 boats crews and destroyed a very large salt manufactory and about ten tons of salt, then let the boys have a run they killed 10 sheep 1 goat 4 steers and brought off 5 bush sweet potatoes. I had lookouts posted and the guns of the ship / could sweep the beach in case of an attack. we came off all right and ran the ship a few miles more to the southward and anchored. the next morning Capt. Dillingham sent me in with 2 boats to destroy another salt work. we were out of reach of the ships guns. I pulled into the beach with both boats keeping a good lookout for rebels none being in sight. I landed with 6 men ran up on a hill and took a good look all round. Saw nothing suspicious. then gave the Masters Mate in charge of the 3^d cutter permission to land. he sterned his boat in and let a few men get out the implements of work. in the mean time I had reached the salt kettles & my men had commenced breaking them when Master Mate Rice ran up on the bank, fired his revolver, gave one whoop and ran back to his boat and got his men in & shoved off. When I saw him on the bank I knew something was wrong & sent my men down to the boat run down myself as I reached the bank I heard some tall yelling looking up the beach I saw some 40 or 50 Texans riding like the Texans only can ride with arms swinging around in all directions. I hollered as loud as they did and my men rushed into the water up to their waist I after them taking off my belt with one hand my revolver in the other to keep them dry. I waded off past the whole, got in the boat, helped in two others sat down on the stern sheets / and blazed away with my revolver. the pursers steward a youngster was with me in the boat & if I ever saw a person frightened he was the one he fell down 5 times before he reached the boat although having only some 2 rods to go while I had 50 I had to lift him bodily into the boat after I got him in he lay in a faint for some time. one of the crew got off most to the boat got frightened turned & went back I called to him to come off. the balls were flying around him quite brisk but much brisker near the boat. I dont blame him he could not swim & thought he was getting off too deep while we were just afloat on the bar. the Rebels came down abreast of us yelling like Indians & faced the beach blazing away with guns rifles pistols and carbines. most of the arms in my boat were wet by the crew coming off. my revolver was dry. I blazed away and a man fell off his horse. another barrel & another barrel another man fell. I think every one of the 6 charges of Colts long Navy told its tale. then turning to two of my boats crew who were lying down in the boat I offered them their choice either get up and pull an oar or else feel a bayonet in their hump I got all to rights & started. I then tried the muskets our quarter gunner was along and he and I blazed away as long as we could do any thing. the coxwain of my boat crawled under the / bow. had I known it I would have pricked him up the third cutter had one man killed and 2 wounded. I had one wounded and received a ball on my left elbow grasing along for two inches, making a scalding wound it felt as if some one had laid a piece of hot iron on my arm. it will be well in a few days. they seemed to aim at me if I can judge by the balls in the quarter & stern of the boat one hit the rudder burying itself half way in. I suppose my gold band on my cap attracted their attention

 

we got on board and at 12 all hands were called "to bury the Dead" after which a breeze springing up we ran along the beach dropping shot or shell into any squad we saw but doing no harm the last gun I fired myself at a body of Rebels putting 32 lbs of iron in among them but killing none. it was the best shot of any "if I except the one that just missed me" we now are going to Sabine to try to obtain a sch^r and some howitzers pay them another visit in better shape. our ship is to deep draft and she is very hard to tack or to wear owing to her long floor a good sch^r would keep the beach free for miles with 2 howitzers. I can say now that I have seen some service. I aint got any courage to brag of but the men seem to think I done first rate. they are willing to go again with me. as Mr Dillingham our Acting Master in Command had no orders to do this, he is little afraid that the

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