St. Augustine Feb 26th 1863

Dear Wife & Bairns

The Schooner lying here that expected to sail last Sunday sails tomorrow the wind permitting. I have not much to write. My health continues fair. I came of Picket this morning the Boys had a gay time at the house they got a Fiddle & danced till two o,clock if the Col had come along he would have raised the D__l with me for allowing so much noise. but it is my style to let the Boys have a good time, as we was coming home at daylight one of the Boys shot an Oppossum, they look very much like a Coon & smell half as strong as a skunk. some of them thought it was. I have understood that some of the "Grumbling Hunkers" have written home that the Niggers are used better than the Soldiers fed better & allowed to live in Houses &e while the Soldiers had to live out doors & many other complaints Now I should like to know if we as soldiers are so simple as to expect to live in Houses. I am mostly ashamed of them on that point, as to rations I know something about that no Negros have drawn rations except those at work for the Q.M. up to the time the men enlisted, since then the women & children have been obliged of course; while all of this time hundreds of whites were drawing rations & some of them rebels at that, some of the grumblers say that the Niggers get the best of the grub now I know that the poorest Meat & Bread, "Hard Tack", has been issued to them they draw no soft Break at all, & no clothing is issued to them till they are Enlisted; none whatever to the women & children. The fact is these stories from this Department are from Homesick Traitorous Dough-Faces that have just political knowledge enough to D__n the Niggers & abolitionists & hurrah for Sham Democracy. they have no manhood left or love of Country & hate to own they are homesick so vent their Billingsgate on the Government & the Nigger-War as they are pleased to call it. when they enlisted they were in favor of "crushing the rebellion" at any cost & all hazzards; but their present position shows how much stamina they have got, & their sincerity at the begining. the most of the Officers in this regt are all right, there are four or five Black Sheep that will be remembered,

in the Mail that went yesterday I wrote you & all the Girls & sent you $10.00 $150.00 in all, it is 11 oclock; & I will close for tonight & finish tomorrow, if the mail goes, "good night," I will to my Bunk; to sleep "perchance to dream" Of Home! 27th It is warm & plesant like June John Bridges is 37 years old today it seems but yesterday that we were cutting up Develry together, a quarter of a century ago. I had one of my restless nights did not sleep till 3,o,clock I lay it to a peice of cheese. we are to be mustered tomorrow when there will be 4 months pay due, I hope we may get it soon, The Sutlers store was broken into last night & about a hundred dollars worth of goods stolen, no doubt by some of the Soldiers. have you written to Father lately, I am looking anxiously for another Mail hoping to hear that you are well I was glad to hear that you was in good spirits I think that was what kept me out of the Sand at Beaufort & is better than Medicine in many cases I will close with love to you all

C Shedd