On board of the Atlantic

and just below M^t Vernon

 Feb 4^th 1865.

 

Dearest Ina,

                        The 23^d A.C. embarked yesterday and did not leave Alexandria until this morning The ice is 4 inches thick in parts of the River. some places there is more. the boats shoves through but the boat trembles which is no advantage in writing. The Atlantic is a line boat which run from N.Y. to Liverpool. she is 200 feet long and 40 feet from keel to the top of pilot house. Our Regt is on the Cabban deck have no fire. The 140 Ind & 63 Ind is on with us. We expect to go near Savannah. Perhaps it / may take 5 days There is some talk of the mail returning today at 3 Oclock. if so I will send this I am well but very lonly when will the gloomy days all be gone. May Abraham and Reb Stevens close up this crual war. I believe that God will smile on our Nation now as the curce of Slavery as a National thing is of the past. we have not drawn our pay yet dont know that we will. I am well.

 

Sabbath the 5^th at 12 Oclock. The ship is running with 2 sail set to help the steam power. the wind is fair and we have just enterd the Chesapeake Bay the boat rocks a considerable The whole fleet lay at anchor all night in the Potomac. There ar is 2000 troops on board /

 

[fragment]

 

…put clean bottom boards under each hive. And about the latter of March trim out all the mouldy comb quiet the bees with a little sweatened water use bee cap and gloves. Perhaps Father or David will do the labor Dont put on any surplus boxes until I write you which will be about the last of May On putting the hives on their stands all the holes should be closed tight unles except enterance. have good cloaths and covers on the top of each hive to keep out the storm. heat is very nessisary for the young [cut off] after you assertain the condition…

 

[fragment verso]

 

…It is nearly night have been notified that the mail will leave the boat at F^t Monroe. I think we will arrive there at about 6 Oclock. The wind does not blow as hard as it did in the fore part of the day although I find it difficult to write a steady hand. As this…

 

            and knew about how they felt from experiance about the midle of the forenoon I took 3 set towes which made me more than sweat. about 60 miles from this place we encounterd a heavy fog the storm had subsided a little it being so dangerous to run they cast ancor and the boat rored and piched like a dog tied to a root. after  a while the fog cleared away and we run to Cape Fear and lay outside with the blockadind fleet all night. One of the 140^th fell overboard during the heavy storm and was not seen after he fell We all suffered very much, but we ar now comfortably fixed as we ar again on tereferma yet not very firm as the Cape is sand. it is very difficult to get wood, as it / is some way to wood only swamp or green pine. The rebels ar fortified 2 or 3 miles north of us sed to be about 5000 strong they have quite a large Fort on the opposite side of the river 2 miles a very strong place and of much importance to the Rebels. General Terry had but 5000 troops when we came here. The 23^d A.C. nomber about 16000 strong as many thousand as 8 times Willy is nomber of years old. General Schofield is in command of this department I went on the coast to get some sea shells could not find anything very nice it is not a good place. I enclose one ct for Ada. William Benson and Stephen Maumeny were left on the Atlantic sick. Squire Mcgath came to the Co The Regt ar afflicted very much with bad colds. Walter has a bad cold but is now cutting meat for dinner. I went to the River yesterday and geathered anough oysters for our mess a good dinner we can get all we want for the picking only small we have no good way of kooking them I eat some raw and alive at that. Oysters ar suffering now as so many has the oyster fever I do not know when the mail will leave I am ever and truly yours

                                                                                                William

 

 

[top front margin, part missing]

 

Use a lis

sharp

padle on

kooker

wire it

the bottom

of Langstroth

hive

mind

was one

taxes

compare

the receipts

with the

old and

of the cost

80 with

the Deed

SOURCES