Fort Jefferson June 14th 1862

Dear Wife

I had the happiness of reading this morning yours of May 15th & June 1st also one for Mr McConnell he wrote the first particulars of Enfield Politics that I have heard & I am greatly obliged to him & will write him as soon as I get time which before I get through you will see is pretty well occupied.

Our Inspector I wrote you about has gone to Seed we were reported to be in first rate condition in regard to Clothing & Equipment the Mail came in this Morning before I came off Guard & I am very sleepy now for the News we recd The Steamer Ericsson is ordered here to proceed to Key West & take on 2 or 2 Cos more of Regulars there then to proceed to Hilton Head S. C.

Hurrah Bully for that although we are going right away from home as far as Comfort is concerned: although there is but precious little of it here we shall see service now I think in the State I have always wanted to be in as all true Mass Men have a particular Grudge against the Devils there.  Oh! if we Only had good Officers I should be much better satisfied for in a Fight we are liable to be murdered by their incapacity.  I expect it will be a long time before I hear from you again if ever life is very uncertain here at the best strong men are taken sick & in two or three days are put in the sand Someone dies most every day they die in the forenoon & are buried in the afternoon in a pine Coffin just planed enough to take the slivers off then they wind the Stars & Stripes around them and put them in a Boat fire a Volly & tote them over to Bird Key bury them about two feet deep in the sand & we forget them as soon as they are out of sight.  the Army is the death of all human feelings

I feel that the Chances are that I may never see N. H. again but I am not going to worry about it & I most earnestly hope that you will not all is if I should not remember that my first & last love were centered in you & our children; that covers the whole ground ecxept a rememberance of all my Friends.  There is no regular Mail leaves here till we leave but the Capt of the Steamer that brought the mail this morning will take letters to Key West in season for the Mail that leaves for N. Y. tomorrow if you receive this I think you had better direct to Hilton Head S.C. or perhaps if we should go elsewhere you may get notice of it in the Papers before I can write again.  We shall be 5 or 6 hundred miles nearer home than here

I have contracted no very plesant associations here & consequently can leave with a light heart whether we get better or worse treatment we shall have change of scenes which will go far to make men think lightly of the hardships we may be obliged to bear I have all my Courage left & I hope you will never have cause to Blush for me when the time of trial cames.  & Live or Die I hope you & our Children will in thinking of me, feel proud in the knowledge that I have done my duty

We expect to go Tuesday in the mean time we have to load all of our Camp Equipage & Provisions which will be quite a job we shall have to leave many things here which we cannot carry I am disapointed in not being able to send the shells I have gathered I dont know what I shall do with them.  well it is no use of thinking of carring them as I have got to through away some of my clothing for I cannot get it all into my Knapsack  Adieu Dear Ones; I cannot stop to write more today

C. Shedd