Portsmouth Va

                                                                                                Sept 8^th 1863

 

            My own Dear Mamie

                                                To day I received two precious letters from you darling & as you manifest an anxiety in each about my health I fear you are by this time alarmed about me but I hope not as there is no cause at present. I got better of my illness. I have been quite well untill to day. To night I am as well as ever in my life but not enjoying myself as well as I should be if with my darling Mamie Although to outward appearences as “gay” as anybody I can never be happy except with you Darling. The reason I have not written before is that I have been so situated that I could not write. Last Friday night an order came detailing me to take charge of twelve men as a Guard to go to South Mills with two Canal boats loaded with forage for the 11^th Penn. Cavalry. But as you probably are not acquainted with the locality of that place I will tell you It is fifty miles south of here, in North Carolina. The route there is by the Elisabeth river & Dismal Swamp Canal not a very pleasant trip I assure you inasmuch as the route is infested by Guerillas but I was especialy detailed by the officers it being then nine oclock at I got my Guard together &/and went on board of the Boats. The big Boat which was to take us up the Elisabeth river to the Canal did not arrive causing a delay till the next morning, but early the next day we started & reached South Mills without any adventure except the sinking of one of the Boats & the Shooting of a stray pig by one of the boys. Monday noon we started back and arrived home this morning. The day we arrived at South Mills the 11^th Penn Cavalry came in with about a dozen Guerillas which they had captured on their way from Suffolk to that place At the house where they captured them there was a woman & I suppose through fright she called upon some one to shoot her No one complying with her request She took a butcher knife an ran it down her throat cutting her throat & causing instant death The 8^th Conn Vols has been stationed some time at South Mills. & a few days before they left two of their boys took a “Nigger” outside of their lines & sold him for $500, but the ‘Nigger’ got back and the two boys were arrested & now are in Fort Norfolk. So much for south Mills. When I got back I found the Sergts preparing for a grand examination. A board having been appointed before which all were to be examined to decide on their merits probably some will be reduced to the ranks. You spoke of D H Randall he has not been reduced as yet—/

 

To night 200 conscripts came on from old Conn. thank God they were none of them for this Regt. & as our Regt. is the last to be supplied I hope they will all go to other Regts I said that none came to this Regt there was one He used to be Lieut in this Regt and has come back after another commission which has been promised him. John has not got his appointment yet and he fears he will not get it but I think he will. There is one little matter that if I was writing to any one else I should not yet tell of but to you I have to tell all my hopes & fears. Hawkins has been appointed Ordanance Officer for the Dept of Va. as you do not know what that is I will tell you He has charge of Guns from a Seige Gun down to a pistol & also all the Ammunition. amt. to several millions of dollars worth I am to go with him as Ordanance Sergt. I shall of course be detached from the Regt. & shall be all the time in Norfolk as the Depot & Office will be at that place they all congratulate me on my good luck. Now I think is my time to remain with the Regt if I expect any thing but I had rather give up all if I can stay in one place all the time Well Darling I want you to hurry & get well for I may want you to spend the winter South but dont allow/yourself to indulge in any hopes yet as I have not & shall not untill I get transferred & every thing get to working all right I do not think of much more of importance to write but I believe this is the worst written letter that ever I wrote you must excuse it however I will write again in a few days when “every thing is all right” or “plays out” I am glad you got along with the measles so well I hope that cough will soon be well

                                                                        Court.

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