Morris Island South Carolina

Tuesday Evening, Oct 6^th /63.

 

Dear Parents,

                        Today has been mail day again. one letter and a package of papers fell to me as my share. The letter was mailed the 26^th of September. I was real glad, as I always am, to recieve a letter from home. no express has arrived for Silas E yet seems to me it is time for it to be here. I can not understand why it should take so long to get things from Hilton Head up here. I was out on fatigue with a squad a few nights ago, clear way up to the other end of the island nearly up to Battery Gregg. the rebs made quite a fine display of fireworks, rather near some of the pieces came to be admired much but then one gets used to these things after a while. some men get so / used to them, they will not cover for one much quicker than they would for a snowball, unless they see it coming directly at them, hardly then. You did not like the idea of my not coming home in a year. you need not trouble much, I shall be home at that time in one way or another if I am alive. I am willing to stay that length of time. I came for that I'll not go back on it now.

 

Yesterday morning I was detailed for fatigue to report there at time appointed no officer there to report to. Waited until near eleven o'clock no one came, we then returned to camp. thus got rid of a days work, that pleased the men very much that way of working, although it did not make much difference to us, except we had the afternoon. I should like to show you one of the hand spikes the rebs had up at Wagner, to repel an assault. It was of iron I should think about eighteen inches long, a blade sharp on both sides and a hook also sharp I'll try give you a representation / [picture] of it. this was fixed to a stout pole eight or ten feet long. Then when the battery was assaulted they would use the hook to haul them in or to kill them just as they chose or both, the hook was sharp as well as the blade

 

Wednesday Morn. 7^th

                        A beautiful morning clear and cool. most of the time for a week or more past has been very comfortable, nights very cool, almost cold enough for frost, some nights have been but I believe there has been none as yet. We had a prayer meeting last evening there were only a few present, but we had quite an interesting meeting. The second South Carolina are encamped near us. they have the meetings that draw the numbers, more from curiosity probably than any other reason, they a great amount of noise It reminds me of camp meeting very much. But they enjoy it very much The seventh Conn. is encamped near us so near that the tents join. They are / like them better than we did our old neighbors and companions in travel viz. the twenty fourth Massachusetts. although they were good neighbors, we never thought they did the fair thing. whenever there was any thing to be done they would most always lay back and say go in your the boys, gay fellows, &c. but they were sure to tell how they did what would not have been done if it had not been for them, always shirking and always blowing. But they have gone to Florida. they always had the easiest and best part, and now they have got it again, but we dont care no great deal if we have only got clear of them. We only hope they will stay. We expect another mail per steamer Arago today or tomorrow. Then I will write again. It is reported that the iron side is going to advance on Charleston today.

                                                                                               

Your son            W L Savage

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