| Fort Pulaski, Dec 27th
{1861} |
| |
| My Dear Sisters |
| Emily and Lilou |
| It is with much pleasure that
I am able to write you that your nice presents of cakes and pies reached
here in very good order and such a time as the O. L. J's had over them
it would have done you good to see. On christmas day the officers gave
the men a dinner and eat in the mess room with them. It was one of the
pleasantest incidents of any soldiers life and I would not miss the
remembrance of it for twice -- nay thrice the cost. Your presents were
more than sufficient for our desert and the kind donors were mentioned
with gratitude. Just before closing the scene they passed you both a
vote of thanks and desired me to write you to that effect. Excuse the
informality of its communication. We have a country member who had
probably never seen an iced cake before and when he asked "for some of
that thing with a white skin on it" he was laughed at immoderately. |
| Since my return I have taken a
very severe cold and am not really able to be out, but this is such a
bad place to get sick in that I have fought against it. I will come off
duty tomorrow at 8 oclock and I am then going under the Surgeon's care
probably at his quarters. |
| Before long, possibly before
this reaches you, there will be some movements made by the Federal
fleet. Not on the fort, but on some of the batteries near Savannah on
Warsaw River. Four gunboats were near Skidaway Battery yesterday and it
seemed evident to me that they mean mischief. A few days will let us
know more definitely. |
| With my best love to all your families |
| I am affectionately |
| Your brother |
| William |
| |
| {From the Calder W.
Payne Genealogical Collection, Middle Georgia Archives, Washington
Memorial Library, Macon Ga..} |