Oct 10th 1864
charles ton south carolina
My dear wife I take the
opertinity to inform you
that I left camp homes on friday
morning and we got to charlston
on Sunday morning a bout 8 oclock
and went out to the ship and
we are here on the receaveing
ship and we shal remain thare
untel the iron clade is done and
then we shal go a bord of her as
mariens which duty they all
say is the lightest of all of the
service and drest the finest
I am well at present and hope
these few lines may find you all
the same and I want you to rite
to me as often as you can we are a
fair ing first rate here we have a
plenty of sugar and coffey twice a day
and a plenty of hard tack and potatoes
[page 2]
and we are not exposed to the
weather at all I like my position
I [??] as well as I can to be from home
in the service men say that has tried
both say they had rother be a private
here then to be a lutenant in the
in fantry two lutenants left campe
homes with us and threw up there
cumishions to come with us to this
place we can see the yankeys fleets
out so we can Just hear the report
of ther guns and see the smoke rise
we can see fort sumpter from heare
and a good maney other forts in site
and we have two or three iron clads
done now that is all ready for service
I dont think that we shal have any fight
here soon and I beleave it is the
commen oppinon that the ware will
soon be over and I pray to god it
may be so I have seen more sights
since I left home then I ever
saw before in all of my life
[page 3]
before and when you rite
to me direct your letters to
H H Bowen Flagship receaving ship
indian chief charleston
S C at present for it will be
Some time before our iron clad
is finished some moth or two
and I will rite you as soon as I
get on it this flag ship is to
receive all troops that comes to the
navy as camp homes receives all
of the troops for the infantry
thare is about one hundred on
bord of this ship at this time
She lies still all the time out in
the stream about a quarter of
a mile from charleston but
not to wards the yankey fleet
I love to ride on the steem cars
first rate we have come over rivers
and under bridges and traveled
day and nite you direct your
leters at present to mr H H Bowen
receiving ship indian chief
[page 4]
charleston S C and you
must carry on the best you
can untel I can get home again
I want to get a furlow to come
home a bout christmas if I can
and I think I can if nothing turns
up more then common we had
frost heare on Sunday morning
it is cooler down hear then aney
whare I have bin but I gess it is
cool at home now as to the nuse
we have heard nothing of no great
importance you must send me the
nuse if you have any it is said
that there is some caces of the yallow
fever in the town but they think
this cool weather will stop it now
and I dont think thare is much dan
ger of getting it on the ship I
must come to a close by saying
I remain your dear husband untel
death &c H.H. Bowen