The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-03-12
Army Correspondence.
HEAD QR's. Co. D. SEA Rfo.. OWL
Camp on St. H-leDa Island. 8. c.
February 20. 1853.

Camp on st. HtleDa Island. 3. C.
February 20. 1883.
Ma. E. KALB: Dear Sir: A fer long
delay take up my pen away down in
Dixie TO write you again. 1t seems %
though We bad passrd the bounds Of civ
ilizatioD and almost beyond that point
where communication cesses, that seems
to connect US with the great world Of
events and the balance Of mankind. This
place seems aim ost prison. as there is
but lille to break the dull mon otony Of
every day occurrence Of camp life on an
almost uninhabiled island, Or sand bank
on the coast of the very mother Of seceS.
sion. This island is some twelve or four.
teen miles in length and eight or nine in
width. There are few negroes here who
are bred by the government to raise cot
ton, suPerintepded by men from the
north, perhaps to contrast Yankee iDge-
nuity with Southern chivalry and enter.
prise as heretofore sxsmpli6ed BY each
Since ! last wrote you at Suffolk we have
s en- some things that were new 10 US and
10 some quite lmusing. We left Suffolk,
Va, Dec. 3lst On New Years day at
Norfolk We Witnessed grand parade Of
niggeIs as they passed 10 review along
the streets, 10 the number Of three or four
thousand. Whether they were celebrsi-
ing chat day as day Of freedom, (as il
certsiuly was not) or merely as custom
| am not able 10 say. At any rate some
Of the soldiers expressed great iudigna
tion at their proceedings. and shamefully
treated some Of the colored population by
kuocking them doan aud kicking them
of the side wslks, and whatever sbuss
they chose to heap upon them. TO the dis
grace Of the white race and civilized
nation. However. these acts Of barbar
ism were perpetraled only by those Wht
thought that :hey must have holiday a,
they we're used 10 at home, by getting
hottie Of rifle whisky act The devil a Whil-
then land in Jail TO sober of, and as soor
as he can up.end himself again 60 bob
bing about in his cell plsying checkers
with his nose at the window. We wer,
at Norfolk until the 4th Of January, wher
We embarked on the steamship Cahawbl
for NewberL, N. c.. where we expected
to be led Immediately against the rebel
AT !0oldsboro or Weldon; hut this was
grand 6lsle. After stay Of from ,h
7th until the 22d. We were ordered bacl
to MOrehead City, opposite Beaufort OIL
Beaufort harbor on another expedition
that no one seemed 10 know anything
about. Here we were placed on boart
transports Immediately. and so mucl
crowded that we could hardly stir about
and SO filthy that l have seen many hog
pens that were in better condition COR tt
reception Of msn than this boat. We tool
on twenty days ratiops and great was tn
conjecture as to our destination. w
w're on board ship seven days bs'ols W
! lift the larbor: The day before we lei
we received mail which was much vel
ccmed. as it was nearly two weeks sine
We last heard from he North. The aies
war news by that mail was Jan. lslh.-
T On s9lh the feet put out to sea, and
being very rough the vessel rolled con
, sid.rably, making about nins-Ienths {
the men on board sea.sick. Such auothe
! TINA Of spewing I never saw. The deck
were in sad plight forebear relating
J While some would bs laughing at other
, that were sick. he in ssNinstant would b
seized with the sane and break for Il.
. railing in double quick whica was keF
: pretty welfcrowdsd for seversl hours
: AS for myself l did not &c! sick but su
l joyed the sail very much, although I
!. times tie vessel would ereak al ever
joint. and fears were entertained that
: the sea would grow rougher she woul
scarcely carry us through. although u
vessel was new, bu, understand was nj
built for the sea. After being out to 81
Q some twelve hours, We learned our dss,
2 nalioD, as We were sailing under seals
! orders. We anchored IN Port Royal ei
trance at Hilton Head. 8. O.. iboc. moo,
]. Jan. Srst. Only about ten or twelve, OF
3 Of sixty .avo or seventy vessels have !
yet arrived. Most Of the sShoonGrs a
!. not come in for four Or Eve days. as Il
!! wind was very unfSyoraBIs, Here '
. we're not permitted to land for more tha
8 week. and no sign of attacking tie 81
: s@y st any point. No one seemed z
i kuow the objacG u this move. aud nuC
o lless tsspIsg the tF6ops Cp board vhe