Fernandina Florida
December 27th 1861

Dear Father & Mother

I now again snatch
a few moments to address a few lines to you
and at the same time I am sorry that I have
to inform you that Brother William is sick
but I think he is better he is sleeping now
and resting very well I do not think he is very
dangerous he had an attact of Pneumony fever
and C. A. Lindsey has Pneumony but is agreatdeel
better we left lindsey at Fernandina in the hospital
and Billy staid to wait on him and was taken
sick that day the Reegiment is encamped six miles
southwest of Fernandina as soon as I heard that
Billy was sick I and capt. Returned to see him
and I and James Dodson is now awaiting on them
I think they will be up in a few days so as to
go to camp. we left Camp Hellen 8 miles south
of Savannah on last saturday evening and marched up to
town and left there on the train at nine oclock that
night for Brunswick and arrived there on sunday
night at 9 oclock 190 miles on monday morning
at ten oclock we went abord the steamer and
started for Fernandina Florida and arrived here at 3 oclo
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the same day 60 miles and it is generaly thought
that we will be ordered back again to Mobile or
ship Island in a few days and god grant that it
may be so for we are a thousand miles from home
and two thousand from any other place it is one
of the last places in all creation there is nothing
here it is a poor piny wood saw pometo country
it is not worth a quarte of a dollar to the hundred
miles square thire is encamped round this
burg about 4000 troops encluding out Regiment
the two companys we left at marion Station got
here last night and I went with them to camp
this morning we have eleven companies here
in the Dowd Regiment and another on the road
here to Join the Regiment then we will have about
eleven hundred men and I think the most of them
will Fight. and I think this Regiment is the only
one her that will fight this place is entirely
deserted by the inhabitance except the very last
rakeings of creation and they are growing rich off of
the soldiers they are selling Burst head Whiskey to
them at five dollars a gallon and every thing else in
accordance they charge two dollars for halfsoling
a par of shoes and it is out of the Question
to get clothing here, our clothes are good yet and
will last some time and I hope we will get
to come home before we nead others
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Colonel Dowde will be here to day and
when Billy gets able I think he will give
us a Furlough if he does not I will always
think he ought too if we go to ship Island I
am very certain of geting a furlough then and the
colonel is very much interupted at the Leunt Colonel
for bringing us here and says he will Telagraph to
the President and have us removed from here.
but I think this is a healthy place we are near the
coast where we get the sea breeze all the time and the
watter is tolerable good with the exception of
being a little brackish, we are seven degrees East
and four degrees south of old monrow and the largest
frost I have seen this winter was here on the 24th it
was a heavy frost an ice plenty, we have had no
rain since we left marion Station.
we have drawn our money for a portion of our
servises for one month and twenty days I got
fiftyeight dollars and we will draw again the
last day of the this month and I will send a
fifty dollar confederate bill home to pay
our taxes if we do not come home before
tax paying paying day I want our taxes
paid. I have thought that we lived in a poor
part of the world but since I have traveled
around I am satisfied when I get back
there live there contented we have a garden spot
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to any I have seen since I left there, if you
recolect aright my arguments always was that
the world was made on an equality I here acknowledge
that I was in error for if all the gold of ophur was
here it would not make it equal with my mountain
home, perhaps you may think that I am home
sick that makes me boast so upon my home but
if so you are mistaken, indeed I would be
very glad to see you all again but I am now
filling the mission that I went apon before
I left home I had A strong presentment that
I would walk side by side with my brother in
toiles and care and I would be spared to stand
by his sick couch and wait apon him through
his hours of affliction and see him again
safe under his parental roof

I must now close this letter Billy & carrol
has both woke up and says they nearly well
you nead not have any uneasiness about
them for I am very sure they are out of danger
W. P. Andrews is complaining but I think it is cold
the other boys from monroe is well as fare as I know
we left J. E. Mcmackin B. F. Mcgraw & John Manusco
at camp Helen as guards for the sick that was left
there. the sick left there. of our company was Fulinwider
W. Mathis O. Stanley C. Cooper A. Mahan B Maloy & J Parker
I herd from them day before yesterday they was all up but
Stanley Mathis and they was mending

Give my love to all enquiring friends and Relatives and
except the same yourselves farewell for H L Honnoll

a while to

Robert and Jane Honnoll