Ship Island Dec 20^th 1861

 

Dear wife: although I hardly Know as I have got A wife for I have not herd from you by you hand writeing in fact I believe you never in your life time did rite to me as many times as we have been absent from Each other but to details we are as yet at Ship Island quartered on the Island gulf of Mexico A baren land surrounded by Water there is Ships that come to us often to bring us provisions the climate is warm as any day in june where you are in this tent I am writing with nothing on but shirt and pants on and sweating like A horse after eating soup from dinner we drill every twice A day last night I was on guard most of the night it takes one hundred men for that duty Every night some from Each Company there is now twenty five hundred men here and as many more are expected here I never Enjoyed better health in my life than/I now do this fellow by the name Teal from acton is just saying O aint it hot but we have not seen any rebels yet but we expecting every day when we shall give battle we have some grand times here I tell you I should think most likely that we may come home so as to get home in May or June some say we will not go home for the three years.

 

but if you are all well and comfortable I dont care as I am so well contentented I only want to hear from you often and you are well there may be some letters on the way for me we are all ankcious to hear from home by the way while I think of it I wish you would send me my glasses I have one pair to read by but that pair that I left to home I can see of at A great distance you can I think put them inside of the letter perhaps you may have to get the pins taken out ask Lewis if he thinks you can if you are where he is if not Josiah or somebody that knows about it/

 

have you herd from Marlboro or seen that puke lately have you got your pension all arangend aright tell Lewis and Henrietta I would like to have them write me tell Lewis that James Casley is here and we have A great many social smokes together I have not seen Jed Moril yet but we expect to to come in contact with them before long some of the  boys are just saying that they think we shall be at home in four months I suppose you have good sleighing in Mass about these days give my regards to Herman Newton and all his folks I shall rite to my folks in Lowell as soon as I finish this I dont know but you had better after the war is over come out here and live as the eternal oyster with me so well prehaps you might fat up if you were here

 

when you direct your letter direct/

c/o Co E 26 rigement

gen Butlers division

Ship Island

                                                yours

                                                J.M. Billings

SOURCES