Here is the next chapter in the saga. I will send some more out at a later date. Enjoy! Port Royal Bay Point, Dec 15 / 61 2:00(?) Dear Brother I have received no letter from you since we left Camp Casey M D. It is not my turn to write but I want to know whether you got that jink, and I am also anxious to heare from you and Mother. We were paid at Fortress Monroe, Va. and left the next day for this place. But before I proceede further. When we were payed off, Our Chaplain Mr. Gibson went home, taking with him a vast amount of Soldiers Money. Withe him Mart & I sent $50, $25.00 each enclosed in a letter. He said he would leave it in the Bank or drop it in the Post Office, but I suppose you have received it before this time. On the morning that we left F. M. I sent a letter [corner of page burned off] Whiteman who was going home to Howard for Mother with one dollar enclosed. I suppose it has also come to hand. Backed to you, if so, tell Mother to answer it and will send some jink in every reply. Well now for the voyage. Part of our Regt. embarked on the Steam & Sail Ship Illinois, and the rest of the Regt. on the Cosmopolitan. We had a beautiful voyage, out of land sight for three days and nights. The sea was very calm all the time during our voyage rendered the time very pleasant. We saw a great many large fish jumping out of the water, and any amount of Sea Hogs they would come in squads toward the vessel clearing themselves out of the water every jump. On comming in from sea to P R the ship ran aground of a sand bar. it was fortunate for the vessel, that no storm arose for a storm then would have caused a reck. A few signals of distress were sent up (sky rockets) and in a short time [corner of page burned off] seen approaching us from the [burn] was about ten o'clock at night and we did not get loose untill morning. A feate looks very nice after night with red lamps ung on the mast rigging. We were frequently halted by our Gun boats. This is done by fireing a blank. When the vessel thus halted must lay untill an officer of the Gun boats come above and examines to his own satisfaction if C.S. ship she must be captured or sunk if U.S. The sailors give three cheers and away she goes. Our Regt. is now divided the old Co C. and five companies are on Otter Island about forty miles distant, and the rest of us are holding Forts, Mud & Beauregard Bay Point Island. The I. is six miles long. Part is sandy barren, and the other part is Frucktiferous. This Island was taken from the Rebbels on the 7th of Nov. They fled in great hast to the other side of the Island and escaped on Boats, leaving all behind [burn marks in corner of page] ons, field pieces and [burn] pork and numerous other valueable articles in short they left all they had. We are now Quartering in the Houses very comfortably indeed. We have just a little of the nicest kind of times, dont drill at all and the weather is warm and pleasant we can go without coats to warm some days. We go out wherever we want on a Forging expedition to the adjacent Island (S.S. Helena), which abounds with game. We take anything we want such as chickens, geese, Hogs, cattle, horses, Sweet potatoes &c. The citizens have all gone, no one to take care of the property except the slaves, they are as dum as hogs, we make htem bring the good things to us, dat we will, massah! There are a great many palmetto trees: The most beautiful tree I ever saw. O stars and nice sea shells we find along the shore. We enjoy the best kind of health it is very healthy the sea breeze and we bathe in the salt water frequently. As this is the third letter to you, without a reply, I shall close and tell the rest the next time. Write directly and tell all teh particulars what Mother thinks of the times. What kind of weather and all these kind of things. No more at present but regards >From the Boys Jim & Mart. Just now the darned candle caught the paper. Please excuse my lazyness to write smoth. F mae address on scrap & the [last?] corners of my letter. Private: You may expect to heare of Charleston being taken soon. The fleet is on the way down. ==== Justin Justin Kirk Houser Genealogist/Researcher of Central PA and Beyond Main Lines: Houser, Breon, Shawley, Ranio/Hrynio (and others) President, BAHS Class of 2003 Student Representative, BASD Board of Education Listowner, PACENTRE-L@Rootsweb.com Historian, Schürch Association of North America (specialty Central PA lines) Member, Valley View United Methodist Church "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"