St. Augustine Feb 8th 1863

Dear Ones

Feb 9th Monday morning I am very well it is very plesant Tell Cox to be sure & keep the measure of my Boots & Shoes as I may want some more

The Steamer Boston went to Fernandina with the Secesh & has returned for the rest, & will sail today, or tomorrow the Delaware went yesterday, with a Mail with two letters for you, but I presume you will get all of them by one mail. I have already written that the Box came on the Delaware all safe & in good order, I have suffered a good deal of comfort already in having good Tobacco to chew & smoke, I light my pipe get on my slippers, cock my feet up on a chair, & smoke look at my slippers & half funy myself at home, I have been quite lame since I came off Guard, we had a furious rain & I got wet & a cold, there is a peculiarity in Colds here with me they dont last but a day or two, at home, they would hang on a fortnight.

A Man came over the lines yesterday reported that the Guerillas came to his house tried to have his son go with them, he refused, at that they took him out and murdered him, after robbing him of a hundered dollars. I wish we might just get hold of them for a few minutes, the Secesh say now their families are gone that they will attack us; I hope they will do it, if they dont get a taste of old Ft St Mark, there is no Virtue in modern Columbiades & Sea-Coast Howitzers with 8 in Shell, we have got some 1500 shell & 100 [     ] of Powder which will last a spell they will have a good time taking us I think unless they bring a heavy Seige-Train which I dont think they have got in East Fla

Eve I dont know what to fill this sheet with there is no news. there are rumors enough but they are of no account. There has a man & two or three women came here to open a Negro School I understand they commence tomorrow the little Nigs hold up their heads with more independence than they used to and give the white Boys as good as they send. they learn the use & benifits of liberty easy & quickly; it is said they make greater progress in learning than the whites.

I feel really sorry that Ada was obliged to go back in the Primry school as she had sett her heart on promotion, but this is a world of disapointments & we must make the best of it, if Lilly dont want to go to school let her stay at home she will soon come to it & go of her own accord, what Regt did W. W. Smith & Washburn go in do you ever hear from them who are the homesick Ones I should like to know so as to have it on record for future reference I supposed Ned got his discharge on his sight which is very short; We had a white frost the other morning which made me think of Oct in N.H. & we have had Ice as thick as a Dime. The Orange Trees are green all winter and Many of them are full of great yellow Oranges but alas they are all sour they look splendid the Peach & Fig trees are bare of leaves as at the north but the forrests are all green but very few of the trees are bare. What has become of my Rifle has it got rusty I should like to hear from it I wish I had it here I would show them how to shoot a trifle, I have got to heat some water & have a wash so good night

Yours as Ever

                                    Calvin Shedd

2d Lt. Co. A. 7th Regt. N.H. Vols