The following letter was written by a member of Co. K, 12th Maine Infantry from Ship Island on 14 February 1862. Troop movements place him in the 12th Maine; his reference to their 1st Sergeant Samuel Fernald leaves no doubt that he was in Co. K. However, he only signed his name “William” and as you might image, there were at least ten in the company with that name. He refers to an Aunt Rhody but that doesn’t help much. The description of his voyage from Fortress Monroe to Ship Island and the events that occurred there since landing are consistent in every detail with the content of a diary by another member of the regiment in Co. G, soon to be published.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Ship Island
February 14, 1862

Dear Father,

I take this time to write you a few lines. You may get them and you may not. After so long a time, we have arrived. We broke camp at Fortress Monroe a week ago last Sunday and went on board the Constitution but owing to foggy weather, did not sail until Tuesday morning. That night [we] fell in with a disabled gunboat, took her back to Fortress Monroe where we arrived Wednesday about noon. Thursday afternoon about four o’clock, we started again [and] just at dark, run into a schooner but I guess it did not damage her much for we kept on our course. We had a very fine passage—pleasant all the way. I was glad to land somewhere, even if it was Ship Island.

This island is seven miles long. On the [west] end where we are camped, there is not anything but sand. On the other end there is a few trees. It is a little the warmest February that ever I experienced in my life. I like [it] very well as far as I have seen. The troops that was here when we came say it is quite healthy here. We left a few sick at Fortress Monroe. The day that we came on board, Sam Fernald—our 1st Sergt. [of Co. K]—fell down the main hatch and struck on the top of his head. I suppose he is dead before this time. There is quite a fleet here. Two or three days before we arrived, they took an English steamship—one that had run the blockade twice. She is a fine steamer ironclad. The ship Black Prince which started from Boston with one hundred and fifty-five horses, when she arrived here, had [but] five of them alive. ¹

Write to me as soon as you get this and tell me all the news about the war for we can get no news here. It is the opinion here that they don’t want us to hear much news. We heard when we left Fortress Monroe that the 13th [Maine] was coming here. I hope it is so. It seems to be the talk here that when we move from here, we shall start for New Orleans. I have written all the news I can think of just now so I will close.

Give my love to Mother and Mon and sis. the kiss as usual. Give my respects to Aunt Rhody and all the rest of the folks. Be sure and write. From your son, — William

I did not get your last letter. I suppose it is at Fortress Monroe.

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¹ The horses belonged to the 3d Mass. Mounted Rifle Rangers (Read’s Company). The men shipped out of Boston, headed for Ship Island, Mississippi aboard the steamship Constitution. They sent their horses aboard the transport Black Prince. While enroute, she encountered a severe gale and the ship pitched so badly that the horses spooked and became hysterical, causing them to tranple each other to death.