St Augustine Florida

                                                                                                                        Nov 4 1863

 

Friend Harriet

                        I take the pen once more to write you it has been several weeks since I have written you but you will excuse me when it was sickness that prevented. I was sick three months. it was more than all the sickness I ev er sw before but am perfectly well now. we arrived we left Morris Island on the first of Oct and were three days on board the Steamer the weather was fine but the / passage was rather unplesant to me for I was in the hospital department and could not bee on deck at all. When we came here we had nerly four hundred sick men in the Regt. we never want to see Morris Island again it is a hard place for Soldiers but we have got to a place now where we can take a little comfort. St Augustine was one of the first settled towns settled in the United States. it was settled by the Spaniards. the population now is about two thousnd. it is a very plesant and healthy place. the fruit here is mostly oranges and Lemonds we have a plenty of them.

 

Companies C, G, & I are doing garrison duty in Fort Marion a very costly Fort bught upwards / of a hundred years ago, but it was very usefull at the time of the Indian troubles here in Florida a few years ago.

 

The nearest Rebel force is at or ner Jacksonvill a distance of forty miles probably we shall have to go up that way in the course of the winter.

 

            It does not seem much like Nov here it is so warm. I saw a man setting out cabbage plants in his garden one day last week. I supose they do not have much winter here. I learned by the last mail that Angenett had been down to E B  would like to have been there to visit with her, but one year more and we will go and visit where we have a mind to. I should think that John Turner and Reynold / were making quite a stop in Massachusetts

 

            I have no time to write you more at this now for the mail closes in a few moments Excuse this and will write you again the first time that the mail goes.

write soon and often. Direct

 

                                    to St Augustine Florida

                                                Yours &c

                                                            Elbridge

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