Mount Pleasant Sept 1st /63
Dear Rarchel as I have Just had the plea=
=sure of receiving yours of the 28 inst and
am happy to heare of your and siseys good
helth and hope the blessing may continue
with you all, I am glad I can say to you
that my helth is improving smartly
and hope to recover my strenght some
Dear Rachel I must tell you what a sad
and meloncoley axident occured to our
Regt last sunday night tha left morris
Island to return to Sullivan Island and
going round the lower channel below
Sumter our men at fort moultry
and the batry on Sullivans Island
discovered them and misstook them for
the Enemy and fired into them and
sank the boat amediantly killing and
wounding several of our men but fortu=
=nantly the tide was verry low and the
boat ran a shore on the sand bar the men
Jumped off and waided and swam in
[page 2]
Evry direction the most of them went
to fort sumter this is the intepritation
of your dream about fishing neare fort
sumter, however the men was scaterd
in Evry direction tha still kept firing
on them untill tha fired sum twenty
Eight shots at them before tha found
out the mistake then tha sent roe
boates and geathered all up that tha
could find I have not yet understood
how meney in all was killed and
wounded and missing Capt Donnelley
comp looss one killed John Johnson head
shot off, William Williamson arm broken
those are the only ones I have heard of being
hurt in capt Donnelly compay the rest
all made theire way to fort sumter wai=
ding and swiming the best way tha could
losing nearly all theire guns straping &c&c
som striping themselfs nearly naked coming
in with only a shirt on dont you think this
was a distressing seign to witness this sad
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axident occured about 2 Oclock sunday
night but I am glad it is no worse than
what it is I have tryed to give you as true
a sketch of the affare as I can the bombard
=ment is still going on Evry day yesturday
Eavning four of the gunboats came up
near fort Moultry and opened fire on her
for about one hour an a helf but I tell
you tha had to back out with one of them
badly ingured tha have not made Enney
attempt to renew the fight to day but
tha are still firing occasionly at sumter
and wagner Dear Rachel I very glad
to heare that you and my Dear little sisey
has not forgoten me but am more
than sorry that wee are so situated
that it seemes imposable for us to see
Each other soon if Ever but I hope wee
may it is a verry hard matter for Enney
one to git off from heare now tha are
so menney sick heare and some looks
like tha need a furlough worse than I doe
[page 4]
and tha are rejected theirefore I had
rather not ask for one than to be rejec
ted I would be certain to git mad
and maby run the blockade and perhaps
come to the conclusion to stay and never
come back, I tell you I have a heep of
thought after seeing how Every thing is
going on I tell you if ever I live to git
home again it is verry uncertain what
I will doe theirefore I Expect I had beter
stay while I am heare for feare something
might hapen Dont you thing so too
Dear Rachel I could say a greateal to you
uppon this matter if I could see you
I have seen and lernt a greateale sience
this fight comenced I hope I may live to see
you again then Ile tell you something
Dear Rachel tell Father that I volentenly taken
it uppon myself and bought him three bushels
of salt at 16 dollars per bushel I got it on credet from
martin valey I will try to ship it next fryday it
it is in the box you sent mee marked to H.W.Jefcoat