St Halena Island
Jan 12th 1863
Dear Sister it is with pleasure
that I sit down to write you
a fiew lines to let you a
few lines to inform you that
I am well at present and I
hope that these lines may
may find you the same
there is nothing new in
camp her oll is quiet I received
your letter on the 9th and was
verry glad to hear from you
I will tell you Ellen as you
wished to know a little
about this part of the cuntry
it is verry level and sandy
the whater is not verry good
it is not as good as the
whater in chester Co but I
have got uset to it by this
time there is plenty of
mosquitos and flees and
[page 2]
A grate many other plagues
unmentionable the houses
here is worse looking than the
oldest huts that I ever seen
in the north and the fields
are fenced in with bushes there
is plenty of game here I have
learned to be a firstrate cook
washing woman there has
bin verry fine weather here
there is plenty of nigros here
also there is a good many
reports flying in camp
It is true I have bin looking
for that box that you and
Martha had promised to
send to me I got Isaac
letter and one from lew Subb
also we had a first rate time
here last christmas and I hope
that you had the same
we had ham and bread and
butter for christmas and had
[page 3]
And apple dumplins for
newyears we do well for grubb
we have bread nearly all the tine
there is plenty of oysters and
oranges but thes are sower the
darks brings them in camp every
& I have nearly run out of papers
and stamps I wish they would
hurry and pay us off and then
I could buy them here
this is the first winter that
ever I put over without seeing snow
but there is some cold days here
for all well I must bring my
letter to a close by asking you
to write soon to your
affectionate brother
John Guest
Give my respects to all