Sullivans Island S. C.
Dear father I take the
pleasur of droping you
A few lines to let you
kno how I am geting along
I am well at this tim I have ben
well every since I have ben on the
Island, our compy has bin gerally
well since they have ben hear though
they is A good deal of sicnss in our
Regt, uncle Thon Glen is very sick,
he has the dierior & from that tock the
heacups; Father we get our Mony next
thersday & I have Bought you Two
sacks of salt I gave four dollars & afourth
A sack; and Ill send it to you next
week, it will coast me six Dollars
A sack I will send it to walhala
I hope thes limes may find you all well
and enjoying good health father I havent
Much newse to write at this time
only wee dont get quit A nough to eat
we get flour bacon beaf rice cofee sugar
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I would be glad to see
you all but I cant
for I am far way if you
call three hundred miles any thing
though I expect to see you all next
Chrismas if posible for I think i will
com hom then; we are all satisfied
I bleave we have A good house to stay
in and one witch is large the water
we are geting to lack it beter
but you never give up Pickens for no
cuntry for the water is so good
father I have set down this after noon
to finish my leter; father they is
[?] ships of the bar we can see four
which is in site of us we are still A
locking for A fite at this plaice
father I want you to write me all the
poticklers in our country and write to
me what sort of A crope you have got
and how grahams crop locks:
tell Frank that James is here and has
ben well every since he has ben hear
father we are all as galey as you
ever saw A set of fellows they
had jest as soon fight as not
Father I dont want you to ever volinteer
in the world for you caint stan it
it would kill you in two Months
or less tim they was A storme hear
last week I saw waves in the sea
as big as your house and it rain as
hard as you ever saw and the wind
bleu so hard that it raise the wet sand
& blue it half A mile tell all the children
that I want to see them once mor befor I
die and tell litle Jhon that I want to
see him and I want you to writ to
me what dockter says A bout and has
said A bout Me father I have thought
of you all hundreds of times
I must bring my short leter to A close
for it is role call while we was at role
we got mor nuse orders to form in A minuit
and get caterges so we expect to fight
hear to knight our company is as cule
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as if they were A going to pray
but som of they companys
is sorter excited they next leter
I write to you I expect to write of
A batle so I Must close nothin
Mor onley remains your sone

this sunday knight
September the 29 1861

Wm. T. Martin Oliver Martin

Direct your leter

Wm. T. Martin
in car of Capt
R. A. Hawthorne Ors regt rifles
Sullivans Island
S. C.