him prisoner. He is missing anyhow. There is great excitement in camp just now. The 41st Ill.
Reg. is just landing. They are a very fine looking group of men. They are nine hundred
strong. It will
not make our force much stronger, as they say. The 12 Reg will leave tomorrow.
They are about six hundred strong. Though I am not certain they are going. We lack 16 men
of having a full Company. We have five days to fill it up. If you see any person wanting to
volunteer, send them to our Co. We have the best officers of any Co. here. They can get a
pass from old Jim McKee or if they pay their way, Capt McKee will pay their every cent they
are out. I forgot to tell you that Capt Salomon's Cavelry followed the Secesh Cavelry that
fired on ours day before yesterday, twenty miles out, but could not catch up to them. If
they had, they would have brought them in for certain. Sarah Ann says she has got the cow
and likes her first mate. I am glad Lee put me in the notion of buying it for her, for I am
determined she shall have anything she wants, for I know she has judgement enough to not
want anything unless she really needs it. I forgot to tell you that I found Charleston a
very nice town, some fine brick buildings in it, and some very nice looking people in it,
but from the looks of the empty houses, I would guess about 2/3 of the people are gone.
There is a good many houses between here and Charleston. There is families in all of
