St. Augustine Apr 2d 1863

Dear Wife & All

I recd yours of the 14th prox the day I sent the last, I was so busy on guard & the 5 Co,s were leaving I did not have time to write another word; they did not go that day before they got out of the harbor there came up a tremendous squall of rain, & wind, & they came back, & were obliged to stop till next day. the rain lasted three days the hardest since the Regt has been here. I got wet as a rat Sunday P.M. & Monday morning. I came off picket this morning & feel stupid as a fool, I could not sleep for fleas, Col Abbott appears to be awfull afraid that we shall be attacked he has just sent a Howitzer to the Intrenchment & has got a field peice ready to be used around town. unless I am much mistaken there are not 100 Reb Soldiers this side St John,s River; although Jacksonville has been evacuated, & there is nothing to hinder them from coming here, but I think their services will be required in the vicinity of Charleston if our folks have good luck. I am surprised surely that "we" carried E. at T. Meeting I take heart from that tell Esq. Smith if I had been at home he would have had one more majority. I feel much better over the Election than I expected for I was really afraid that the "Coffers" would carry it ie the State now I dont care much whether Gilmore or Harriman is Gov if they will only put their hearts to the work. we all feel homesick since the Boys went away, we all wanted to go & it seems lonesome although we have plenty of duty to do. but I dont care for that as some of them do, they complain bitterly the men especially they find fault with the Batt Drills more than the Gd duty, and it is not right to keep them going when they are on gd every other 24 hours.

Ada wrote that "We had good luck at Town Meeting" that was all all she said politically, she is a "Brick". Nannie wrote a very good letter I think it was written rather better than Ada,s, Ada must look out & not be behind on writing Lillys letter was very much like a letter, a little Girl here told her Father she was going to write "Says she, Father I am going to write you a letter, that you cant read" Lillie succeeds in that, but she is a "Bug" & I want to see her very much. When the Col went on board the other day & I was shaking hands with the Officers he shook my hand and said Mr Shedd I shall see you at H. Head in a few days, as I understood him, he might have said he "hoped" to as there is no doubt but he will try to have the Regt together, but as I understood him I infered that he should sent for our Co. or all the rest still in the hurry of the moment he might not have though what he was saying. but whether we leave or no, direct here till you hear we have moved certainly. I am to stupid to write more & will close with love to you all

As Ever

C Shedd