The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-04-18
ONr 9rmg Correspondence
LETTER FROM PORT ROYAL
BEAUFORT, s. c. !
March Goth, 1869. {

March S0th, 1862.
EDS. TRIBUNE:
SirS. | have been favored with copies
OF your paper from time 10 time by friends
in "0ld Seneca" and am pleased to hear
from my home and friends in Virginia and
Kentucky. Thinking perhaps they would
like to hear from South Carolina aud me,
| venture to pen few lines which hope
you will give a place beside those from
the Western Department. | enlisted as
a private while in Michigan, preparing
for the medical department of the State
University; and after considerable pitch
ing and striking of tents, found myself in
Beaufort.
Our regiment, the 9Th Michigan came
down in the Vanderbilt, along with the
10th N. Y. Highlanders. We were crowd
ed some, | assure you, with near $500 men
on board, but CO Inc through with The loss
oftwo mcn. Many were sick, and among
them, the undersigned, who had some Sc.
rious thoughts Of being pitched to the
sharks.
The boys describe the taking of tho
forts on Hilton Head and Bay Point, as a
splendid sight, but was too weak to
crawl out Of my bunk to see it. Things
didn't look very splendid when we land
ed. The ground was covered with cloth.
ing and equipments and fragments OF
shell, and plowed up in some places
rather deeper than necessary for farm
ing. The fort was somewhat battered
and marks Of carnage were all about it.
We staid on Hilton Head four weeks and
then our brigade cOmo up aud took pos
session of Beaufort.
When we left Hilton Head we had
nearly 200 on the sick list. There was
marked improvement in the health of
the regiment after coming here, but many
had contracted diseases on the boat and
ON the island, from which they never re-
covered. While only four have been
lost by battle, those that died and those
discharged on account Of sickness num-
Der over two hundred. was in poor
health when | enlisted, and have been
sick about ten weeks since, but am now
tough. Out of the four months we have
been in Beaufort, have been in camp
about thirty eight days. The rest of the
time, l put IN on the advanced picket
posts on Port Royal, Lady and st. Helena
Islands, except two weeks Of cattle driu-
ing on Lady Island.
Picketng down here is a nice thing
Small detachments are placed along the
river banks; a general lookout is kept
during The day for boats from the main
land and guard kept along the shers all
night. Boats are the only thing to look
for.
We always have comfortable quarters
in the desoluted houseO along the shore
and always found crockery and furniture
enough to set up housekeeping; also
enough contrabands to carry it on. Cat
tie, goats, sheep and other smaller game
kept US a flush supply of meat; sweet
potatoes and turnips were to be had for
The taking and oysters, eggs and milk, we
could get of the contrabands for pecu-
mary consideration.
Oysters we could get by the cartload
'ut of the rivers, but we preferred to pay
/ durksy 80 cents gallon rather than
aeerate our hands taking them out of the
she'll.
Boats from the opposite shore attempt
ID to land here frequently but were always
lryen of. The cotton agent on Lady
sland, was driven into the woods one
hight and at the same time at attempt
vas made at one of our picket posts. 1t
vas very dark night. The corporal was
ust going the rounds and while at this
lost oars were heard. They came near
II and nearer; the corporal told the pick
Il 70 fire. "No" said he "not until can
zee man to fire at" In very few
seconds two boats were seen and men in
'lenty in them. Then the picket let of
lis musket and the contents Of navy re-
oliver, the corporal firing at the same
ime.
The chivalry were somewhat astonish-
ed think, not a little scared, for they
nut their boats about and made off as fast
IS they could. In few minutes there
'as force Of about ten men on the post
nd they fred out into the river As long as
hey could hear an oar.
A man was heard out among the rushes
Il through tho night, yelling out as a man
Iould after standing pain as long as he
ould. The boys had no boat and could
OF leave the post 70 get one. u