Jacksonville, Florida

March 25th 1863

Dear Cousin Roxie

I promise you will be somewhat surprised at seeing my letter dated at this place but the fortunes of war have brought us here where we are to hold the place at all hazards. I received your letter two weeks ago but I have been so busy moving camp & c that I have not had time to answer it before. I also received a letter from Aunt LeValley the night before we left Beaufort and shall answer it this afternoon[.]

We received orders to be ready to march last Tuesday, and Wednesday noon we Struck Camp and embarked on the Steamer Boston and at 2 O'Clock we bade farewell to Beaufort where we had spent the last eight months so pleasantly. We sailed down to Hilton Head where I had a good view of our fleet. I saw six of our Monitors, they are the queerest looking things I ever saw. We took aboard 60 cases of shot & shell & put out to sea about dark. I turned in under the lea of the life boat and slept as sound as I should on a feather bed. About 11 O'Clock Thursday we put in to Fernandina Fla and stayed about 2 hours. The place is garrisoned by the 7th Conn Regt. In the afternoon we ran down to the St. Johns River and at sunset we crossed the bar, it was very dark and we had to run very slow up the river and finally got aground about twelve miles from the mouth & had to be there till 10 O'Clock[.] Friday morning when the Steamer Genl Burnside came down and took off all but our Company & then we came up the river to this place. We are now about 25 miles in the interior. This is a beautiful place, much nicer than Beaufort and some larger, quite a large number of factories, mills, and nice buildings have been burned by the rebels. We went into quarters in some of the unoccupied houses. Each Co has a house to itself and we have got things fixed up in fine shape. I scouted around town till I found an organ in one of the Churches and then I was satisified. I tried it and found it in good tune and nothing out of order except two or three keys which I fixed in five minutes. I got our choir together and we had a good sing and Sunday I had the pleasure of playing the organ in the Episcopal Church in Jacksonville Florida. There are quite a number of white ladies here and I have had several chats with them, some of them are rank secesh and still our Officers let them go outside of our lines and back whenever they choose and I do not doubt but they give the rebels all the information they want. Friday night the rebels came up and fired on our pickets and they got us out in line and kept us standing there in the cold about an hour and then we went back to bed but we had only just got to sleep again when they turned us out again but it proved to be a false alarm. The 8th Maine Regt arrived here Monday noon and there are two Regiments of niggers here, so we have about three thousand men here. The rebs came up with a cannon on a railroad car last night and threw a few shells over into the city but gunboats soon drove them back. and this morning four Co's of our Regt and six Co's of the 8th Maine have gone out skirmishing, and the last I saw of them the rebels were running and our boys were after them. I presume we shall have a pretty lively little turn with them before we get through. A negro spy that came in this morning says that they want to burn this place and then they are going to evacuate Eastern Florida. I was sorry to hear that you had all been sick and I hope I shall receive better news next time. I should like to help some party of young ladies dispose of a nice supper if I should happen to come across them. It grieves me to hear such an account of Cousin Emily's husband. I just wish he were in the rebel army for I should like to have a chance at him, I think I could cure him of some of his meanness. I should have written a few lines and sent with that New South but I didn't have time. I wish I was situated so that I could make you a visit but I do not think I shall be able to do so for some time. It has been very warm and pleasant here this winter, there has been very few days but that I could keep warm without a coat on. There were only two of us in our tent and we took turns doing house work. We had two pets, a cat and a dog, but we had to leave the cat behind us. I wish you could step in and see us a few minutes[.] I guess you would think we were a set of live Yankees, we have got all sorts of trinkets that you can imagine, all whittled out with that Yankee tool "the jack knife." I am glad I have got such a sensible cousin.

I don't believe in getting married before I get out of my teens and when you get to keeping old maids hall I will come out and see you and I rather guess I shall make as good an old bach as you will old maid. Father's health has been very good this winter and I hope it will continue so until I get home. I believe I have written you all the news. So I will close with much love to all and a larger share for yourself
from Cousin Gus