Portsmouth Va. July 16^th 1863

 

My own Dear Mamie

                                    I wrote to you from Yorktown & promised to write again when we got settled Well, we are not quite settled yet but nearly so We have not had our mail since Sunday & therefore I have not heard from Mamie We shall get our mail to day & then I expect to hear from her. Before I tell you anything else though let me break the good news to you. It is so good though I almost fear to tell it for The 21^st Conn. Vols. are doing Provost Guard duty in the city of Portsmouth. We left Yorktown Sunday morning/that night we encamped at Big Bethel the place where the first battle was fought in this vicinity. The next day we reached Hampton (just across from Fortress Monroe) Tuesday morning we took transports for this place. We were expecting the job we have got now & therefore expected to stop but we did not we went directly to our old camp at Bowers Hill. About 15 minuets after we reached there an order came for us to stop at Portsmouth but we were not sorry we did not receive it in time as by being at the old camp we could each one see to his own things & get them ready for moving. * * * I have just been after the mail & there was a letter for me from my Darling. I was thinking while marching down the rail-road yesterday that it was just six weeks ago then that I came down it on my way home. Six weeks what eventfull weeks the first three spent in perfect happiness The next two comparitively easy but the last was a hard one there was more suffering comrised into a smaller shorter space of time than I ever heard of before. Oh. I cannot be thankfull enoug that our prospect is good to stay here through this warm weather. It is I think “perfectly spendid” to be here I will give you a sketch of our life now We are quartered our Company with one other in a large 4 story building formerly used as a commission Store Our Co. occupies the third floor John & me have the office on the first floor with a desk chairs & bunk for a bed The duty is not to be very hard for non-commissioned officers I went to Norfolk on a special detail yesterday it is only just across the river The ferry boat leaves every five minuets I was over last evening with John to get some things Saw plenty of those women, nothing more/as in Norfolk though more private. There was one accosted me last night in Norfolk saying “hallo Serjeant there is lots of the 21^st boys at our house” I did not reply but thought to my self here is one that is “liable not to be there at any minute” There is some talk that we are to go over into Norfolk to stay instead of this place How long the Regt will be allowed to do Provost duty will depend upon how the men conduct themselves If the officers wives had q staid out they could have fine times now Some of the Sergts. belonging to the Regt here before us had their wives out here There is a Sergt. in the 118 NY Vols. whose wife stays with him all the time & sais she will never leave him she marches by his side & when they go into battle she sais if they will give her a musket she will go in and fight with him but as well as I love my Mamie I would not have her out here it is no place for a woman Ed Wheeler is getting better his mother is with him at the hospital in Hampton He came down to Hospital on the third of July I was on the boat that day but he wished me not to mention his being sick in my letter which I wrote home that day. Capt Kenyon is sick he is in the hospital here. I should liked to have been home & gone up with you and seen Francis Shirley’s baby Well Vicksburg & Port Hudson have fallen & if we could have whipped Lee I should then have hoped to have soon been home with my darling, but I may be now who knows? Tell Mother not to worry about my being drafted I suppose they are scraping together their [?] to pay it instead of coming out here I dont expect to see any of the North Stonington boys even if they are drafted  Much Love      Court

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