Morris Island S.C.      

Sunday Aug 9^th 1863

 

Dear Parents,

                        It is a beautiful day the sky is clear and a cool refreshing breeze blows up from the ocean. But yet if one steps out in the sun he feels its power for to day it shines it seems to me unusually warm but perhaps it is my feelings The regiment is still out on picket, or one hundred and eighty men, that is about all there is for duty. I suppose they will be in tomorrow or next day. Where part of them are they have trees for shade, they say that by climbing the trees they can / all over Charleston city, can see the people walking about the city. There was considerable firing last evening and this morning. I suppose the seige will open in a few days now, but it is all guess work for no one knows much about it except the General Commanding. We can see the steamers running up and down between fort sumter and the city every day. We can see the steamers passing up and down between Hilton Head and N.Y. with the mail they stop off the harbor and take on what letters we have here when they are going North I wish some times we were on them going north. We do not get vegetables in / our rations now, no potatoes, but occasionally some mixed vegetables. Yesterday got a chance to buy a peck of potatoes for which I had to give thirty cents, but they tasted so good I shall get well paid, I guess. I made some hash this morn. thought it the best I ever ate. They have very high prices here for all sutlers goods (if you can find any) one pound cans of condensed milk have been sold for one dollar and twenty five cents, and a good deal for one dollar. I suppose it costs about thirty cents north. there is quantities of it used here. When you send the box if you could get three or four cans and put in. If you can get it easily and at a reasonable price, otherwise it is of no consequence (Bordens or Lewis is thought the best) 

 

I have socks enough for the present and my shirts will last a good while yet. The boots I will write about here after. You asked in your letter what we thought of the war in the north. We think we like the priveledge of wiping out some of those rascally fellows who get up these mobs for the effect. I should enjoy very much to have been home in the month of Aug. that is the time I made application for a furlough, when they were giving them out at the first. You also speak of the dreadful critters in your [?] I have none of them. I do not think there is any need of any one being troubled with them as long as there is plenty of soap But where there is one or two in a / company that have them they will crawl around on the rest and they have to be constantly looking for them, all because one person is to lazy to cleanse his person and clothes. There is no insects in our present camp to trouble us except flies, and the tents are full of them. one has to be busy, constantly busy to keep them from eating him up. I have just seen one of the Lt's who is out on picket at the same place where Co. I. is he says there is plenty of fish clams and crabs they have out there. Their picket lines extends across the marsh between here and James Island they have a fine view of all that is going on. 

 

We have some rather daring scouts in this army corps. One of them, about the best we had, one who had rendered very efficient service, Capt [blank] was taken a few nights ago, and all his men. He had been in the habit of going out every night and getting so near that he could see the steamer when she came down to relieve the garrison in fort Wagner (which they were in the habit of doing every night) then by throwing up a rocket apprise our seige of the fact when they would open with their parrot guns and drive the steamer away. It had been going on for this way for some time much to the annoyance of the rebels, when one night they came on him suddenly surprising him, but he retreated to his boat / found the tide had gone out and left it up high and dry it is said he defended himself bravely for a while, but was finally over powered and was obliged to give up. Last night an officer off from one of the gun boats went up into Charleston harbor with the intent of raising the torpedoes and uncaping them. But the rebels have a calcium (I don't know how it is spelled) light at fort Sumter with which they can light up the whole harbor thus his plans were frustrated. That was told me today by the [?] the pickets. I have been told that boats frequently go so near sumter in the night that they can see the sentinels on the parapets and hear them talk. As I sit here writing I can see our boys walking around in the marsh so far / [faded]

 

Tuesday          [nearly entire side faded]

dead this morning about two o'clock. He has been sick ten days with the diarrhea. We knew he was very sick but [faded] thought he would [faded]. Express came yesterday cakes and suet [faded] spoiled butter and jellies [faded] 

 

Silas E. is here in camp now it is the first time he has been in camp since they went out [faded] he had more to do than the rest I do not know as I am not in the Com[?] except to get my meals [faded] It does seem to me [faded] though they did crowd him a little he goes willingly to his duty and does not make as many words about it as a good many of the others. There is an old saying something about driving a free horse to death. it might perhaps be applied in this case. You wish to know wether my position in battle is a dangerous one. I don't know as there is much difference. it is opposite ten paces in the rear of center of the left company no more exposed than any other / perhaps not as much so. I don't know as it makes much difference. I suppose it is true that General Stephenson said he would rather suffer a defeat than win a victory by the help of colored troops. But that was while we were under General Hunter. Now we are now under General Gilmore, and and have the fifty fourth Mass. Col'd. in our brigade. if it had not been for the fifty fourth Mass. on James Is. their holding out against the rebels as they did, the Tenth Regt would all have been taken prisoners.

 

You wonder how we stand the southern climate. You have not much idea of what the men have to stand. Fatigue work right in the hot sun all day. Our regiment has been out on picket now going two weeks lying in the trenches no shelter up nights. And yesterday the thermometer was as high as one hundred and sixteen. 

 

My duties are not very hard. when in I have to make details on different companies for fatigue guard or any other duty. Out of camp there is not much for me to do only to follow on and be on hand whenever I am called on by Col or Redg't. I do not have any picket guard or fatigue duty, except when the regiment is called out. We had quite an excitement here last night shelling by both parties all night. About two o'clock all the troops were turned out. They came for our regiment but all they got was about twenty men the rest were on picket and post guard. They staid out until light this morning when they came in. As it began to get warm in the morning the firing ceased. It began by the rebels throwing shooting canister / canister in among our fatigue parties who were within two or three hundred yards of Wagner. To return the compliment our side opened on them quite lively. I guess they found they woke up the wrong nest this time if they will only wait a few days we will give them all they want I guess. They will think we have got something that can talk to them like a parrott. The funeral of Sergt Long is to be attended this afternoon at six I believe.

 

We have not had any rain here for a long time. We seem to need it very much. I must now close.

                                                                                   

Your aff. Son

William 

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