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ASHAEL SUMNER DEAN
CIVIL WAR LETTERS TO
HIS FAMILY
Tybee Roads May 15, 1864
Dear Virginia,
My own darling wife. You are looking
for a long letter from your Sumner. Tonight I saw a Steamer bearing down from
Port Royal and I very hastily sent you a partly finished letter. I will
enclose it with this as we did not send by it after all. But dear did we not
learn glorious news! If it will only prove true; Richmond ours; Lee a
prisoner can it really be so? And also we were assured that Dahlgren has his
fleet inside of Sumpter. I do hope all this may be, even so far then I shall
soon be able to be with those I love and long so much to see. We wait very
anxiously for further news. You see, all we obtain we get from chance
steamers. You can not know how quiet it is here. In the morning at 4 o'clock
we go to our day station and do only the work on shipboard and while we are at
anchor it is only to keep the ship and ourselves clean. We look on the bay
and it is as smooth as glass. You will see a herd of Porpoise feeding lazily,
maybe twenty. They can always be seen for they come up for air. You can
always see the sturgeon for they come up with a leap and strike on their
backs. I am told for this reason they have worms in their backs and they do
this to keep them from biting. A funny way of scratching. You have no idea
of the amount of heat. The uniformity, rather, it is just the same all the
time. We have no feeling of chilliness any time and on the beach it is
extremely hot. I remember of seeing warm weather at home, but it was not like
this. On the shore we seldom go on account of the heat. I have been but
twice. We, Pay., Sargent and Jenney and I went for an hour and picked ten
quarts of very large sweet black berries. I never saw them so large and nice
before. The air was loaded with perfume and the flowers were found in
profusion. But I prefer to be on the cool deck to being burned up in a
blackberry thicket. We saw many birds. Indeed the Martins sing about our
ship continually and make it almost like home. I came across soldier's graves
in the fen. Strangers to us, most of them had a neat fence about them with
their names painted rudely on a board and planted at their head. We also
found shot. You will remember this has been a furious battleground. We took
the Island with the shipping and then put batteries on it to command the
Fort. We can see from our deck the ragged walls where Gen. Gilmore's shot
have penetrated. In fact the barbette is nearly gone on this side of the
Fort.
SHARKS
A shark twelve feet in length was caught
by the men on the Schooner today. I am certain I shall use my bathtub and not
the beach! I think it is safer.
LARGE PORTION CAREFULLY CUT OUT ON
PAGE 3/4
... the above to write for we are on a
small bit of surface all we can see is our two consorts the sand and the bay.
Did I tell you of getting wet coming from the Str. MASSACHUSETTS? I believe I
did. I think I never saw the rain fall faster
I am sorry to say that the sailors do
not seem to read from the library. They can get cheap novels and they most
prefer to read them. I can get a few of the boys to take them out. There is
not much Sunday on board. The Capt. gave orders Sunday to have the fires
drawn and the boilers cleaned when any other day would have done just as
well. As a consequence, the black gang had to work until midnight Sunday.
They did not like it much. I have not heard from you for so long a time.
-PAGE ENDS, CUT AWAY-
...anxiously for your letter. I want to
know if Nellie cares for my little letters to her? I put them in to please
her. I wont if they do not. Virginia, I trust you are well and happy and are
enjoying your self these fine spring mornings. You may know your Sumner is
well and as happy as he can be away from his home. I love you dearly and look
at you many times every day. I must kiss you & the babies and say a good
night
Ever your own
Husband
A.S. Deane
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