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Regiment: 22nd Michigan Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Beaufort Dec 14th 1861
Dear Wife
Not having received any letter from you for a long time I thought I would write to you once more to let you know how we was getting along. I sent you a letter the Seventh of November with fifteen dollars in it and am quite anxious to know wether you have received it or not as it has been long enough time to receive some word from it by this time I received one letter from you the twelveth of November and answered in a few days and that is the last I have heard from you I have met with quite an accident since then and was lucky it was no worse. The twenty eighth of november as me an a fellow by the name of Mccarthy was going down the the Round Head Regiments Camp we saw some fellows striking two bomb shells together that they found lying on the ground and we went up to them to see what they was doing and just as we got up to within a few feet of them one of shells accidently ignited and bursted the man that stood over it was killed allmost instantly. McCarthy received a slight flesh wound in the calf of the leg and a piece of the shell struck me on the side of the neck and made a slight flesh wound which has made my neck stiff since but it is getting along as well as could be expectyed and will be well in a few days otherways I have been very healthy and am in good spirits We have moved from where we was when I wrote to you before we was then on Hilton Head Island Last Friday we broke camp and marched down to the beach and as there was a Regiment to go aboard before we could it was night before all of our Regiment got aboard I slept in the hospital that night and went aboard the Steamer Boston early the next morning and about noon we started up the river and come fifteen miles to this town called Beaufort it is not very large but it contains a great many very fine houses built by the rich planters who live in the interior of the state who come down here to Spend the summer and enjoy the fine Sea Brease but they are all gone now When they heard of our approach they packed up some of their most valuable things such as they could take with them and left for the interior of the state as fast as their legs could carry them. Some of them forced their darkies along with them but they most all run away and come back again as fast as they could get away and they are driving a good business selling hoe cakes peanuts oranges and sweet potatoes to the soldiers But you should go into the houses and see the valuable property left by the owners the most slpendid furniture I every Saw and great large Ipanoes and Libraries that contain hundreds of volumes and a great many other things enough to make me independent if l had them in Michigan. Some of the Soldiers are boxing up boxes of Books and other things and sending them home and the officers are taking a good many dollars worth of things.
I suppose you are hudling around the fire to keep warm up there in Michigan as I hear that the weather is quite cold for the time of year up there. But you Should be down here and see the trees all green and the weather is almost as warm as summer once in a whilte we have a day or two of weather that is a little cool but the most of the time it is quite warm but the darkies Say that it is a good deal warmer than common here for the time of year.
Shook has been sick for about three weeks but he is getting along now pretty well. Give My love to Walt and Abby and tell them to write and you must write yourself as soon as you get this No more at present from
Your Husband
William Painter
PS Direct your letter to Port Royal, S.C, Mich 8th Reg Vol Co. E. Via New York
