Camp 10^th Regt. Conn. Vols.

Morris Island South Carolina

Wednesday October 14^th 1863

 

Dear Parents,

                        It is for a wonder, almost, that I am alone in my tent this evening there is usually more or less company in here evenings, not such company as I should choose to have either.

 

It seems as though they made this their headquarters for playing cards and things of that sort; I am staying in the tent with Captain H F Quinn who is always ready for them any time of the day, and night too almost; it is very unpleasant for me, but I hardly see how I can help it. I do not really belong here, if I did I should try and get another tent. I have no control in this tent, therefore I have nothing to say; if I get up and go out I find some one occupying my bed when I come back. it is all the same, if I have been out on fatigue, or have been up all night / or do not feel well. Come in and lay down and lay half a day like enough. one man in the new Captain of Co. A. stays in here nearly all the time one night I was away he spent the night on my bed, and has a tent and bed of his own.

 

            Monday night I was detailed for Grand Guard. I was stationed at the "second parallel" with twenty five men; had but two posts, so that the duty was very easy. we had to stay out twenty four hours. in the morning I expected to have my breakfast sent up to me, but I waited all the forenoon and it did not come; at about half past twelve up came the boy with a two quart pail full, he had breakfast and dinner all together, and a canteen full of coffee I felt just as well for not eating any breakfast.

 

            We had a very good time of it up there a good opportunity to see all the operations on Morris island and about Charleston. the rebels seem to be busily engaged fortifying or strengthening their fortifications large squads of men could be seen at work on the outside of their work, and there they worked no one molesting them, while our men would have to run for dear life every little while to avoid / the pieces of rebel shells which they were all the time throwing in among them, very careless too.

 

            But they threw never a shell where we were so we did not have any dodging to do, we only had to prevent persons passing up without a pass, and prevent straglers coming down before they had a right to.

 

            We arrived in camp about this time last night seven o'clock. we had a hard walk down the tide was so high we had to walk in the soft sand instead of on the hard beach as we usually do.

           

Friday 16^th

                        We recieved a small mail yesterday by which I recieved one letter from home mailed at R. Hill the third. To day we recieved the mail which came by the Fulton I expected to get one letter at least from and I did not get any at all.

 

            I recieved one from Amy, and one from Colonel Otis; I was glad to get one coming from so near home but the one from Colonel Otis I was expecting, hoping he would be able to help me out of my difficulty, but I guess I shall have to wait for conscripts or something else to turn up.

 

            One of the seventeenth was here to day. he says Lieutenant Mead of that Regt. was or had been / and was going home in a few days, on a sick leave of thirty days, success to him.

 

            I suppose you wonder how it is some can get sick leaves, furloughs, and such like while others never get, hardly permission to leave camp. Well, you do not wonder any more than we do.

 

            We also wonder how it is that regiments comparatively speaking are full, and never did scarce any thing since they entered the service, can get sent away to recruit, when ours has to stick to it thick or thin no matter what, if the men are but just able to keep their feet from fatigue and exposure. But that is the way it is done now. Just at present General Terry seems to be particularly down us for what reason I do not know. sure I am he is getting a large amount of ill will enlisted in his behalf. But this war will be over some day. But now I must close.

                                                                       

Your Son

W L Savage

SOURCES