Dear Charley

     Your two favors of the 3d and 7th came duly to hand with enclosures. Thank Dr Koecker for me if you see him. The fishing tackle has already been put in use, fish being tolerably abundant hereabouts and anything in the way of fresh provisions is desirable. Everything we eat, almost, comes from New York. You will see by the heading of this that I have come back to H. Q. 48th. We returned night before last and were glad enough to do so as the island we were on was about a foot under water at high tide so that we had to go about the camp in boats. At low tide it was worse as

we could not use boats and the mud made all walking difficult and disagreeable. There was nothing to do either after Pulaski surrendered Before that we had plenty of fun scouting, reconnoitering, watching rebel gunboats and chasing rowboats that occasionally ventured impertinently near us. WE put up a little battery too on Long Island that assisted in the bombardment. Of course we were Continually deep in mud. Indeed we may be said to have "lived and moved and had our being" in mud. On one occasion two officers got so deeply in a quagmire that they had to be pried out with an oar. The bombardment was a fine sight but after the fort surrendered there was no chance of a fight at battery Hamilton. The ironclad [i.e., C.S.S. Atlanta] did not come down and

probably dont exist. The boarding scheme was certainly desperate and chiefly to be adopted because it would be a creditable way of getting Killed, the certain result whatever we did.
So our lambKin has gone the way of all pretty girls. All happiness to the little lady. If I had staid in Phila until this, perhaps I should have fallen in love with her myself. Quien sabe
     I am very glad that Miss Holmes has such good friends as you all. But for you I fancy she would be wofully lonesome. Acquaintances few or many one gets along well enough with or without but without one or two intimate friends with whom one is thoroughly en rapport a man is badly enough off and for a woman it must be most miserable
     You ask about the Contrabands.

It is a knotty question, as much so as the rebellion itself and I greatly fear some miserable temporary Compromise will be made after all the fighting is done. There are but few darkies on this island but I think though neither so industrious or intelligent of course as our poor whites at the North there will be no serious trouble with them from lack of either quality. Once accustomed to their ways and lingo they prove to be more intelligent than they at first appear. They are pretty shrewd too, Know how to get the full value of anything they have to sell and usually save what money they make, spending but little for anything not absolutely necessary.
     Jolly fellows they are too, no matter how hard they have worked all day, they will sing and dance

for which you subscribed to Littell expires, please send me Harper and the Atlantic instead. I don't think Littell is as well selected as formerly and as I have a whole boxfull of back numbers sent me by Miss Augusta Dwight for the soldiers I would like something different.
You don't speak very enthusiastically of your new business. Do you sell on Commission or buy outright?
     Those Western Chaps seem to be getting all the glory of the day. They have done some terrible fighting. Here it is hard to realize all this, Everything is done on the plan of "nobody hurt." WE are careful not to undertake anything involving any risk and the enemy either evacuate or surrender rather than have anything disagreeable occur. We are not likely to do much here for some time. Our troops are so scattered that

without abandoning some points already occupied no large force can be collected at any place from Edisto to Fernandina I dont see through such strategy but presume it is all right Give my love to Mrs & Miss L regards to Mrs B. She must be very anxious about Capt B. just now

Ladies are not usually of a sufficiently mathematical turn of mind to find much comfort in the fact that so small a per-

centage of an army are Killed in the bloodiest battle. Excuse the hurried way in which I have written,

sincerely
Robt S Edwards

P. S. I enclose a bit of the flag of truce hoisted on Pulaski when they surrendered. Very like a bit of dish rag, isn't it?