Edward Hoyt Civil War Diary South Carolina June 15, 1864 Cloudy & wet this morning & rained some but broke away before noon and the storm appears to be over for this time. Our Regt is ordered on duty this morn and it is divided up one Co at the Head to provost duty one at a fort to garison duty one at the steam sawmill and Co B was assigned duty so we are all split up for the present but are all on this Island (Hilton Head) we were sent away to the extreme south end of the Island some 10 to 15 miles from the Head. We started from our temporary camp at 9½ o.c. & marched to our picket Head at which place we arrived about 3 o.c. P.M. pretty tired & foot sore as we had to wade 1 or 2 streams which was bad for our feet. We had no sooner arrived at our station than I was detailed right on to relieve the old picket (the 104th PA) & had to start right off before I had time get my dinner or rest a bit & had to walk about a mile & a half to my post and here I am (writing) till tomorrow morning. From what I can see I think we shall like it here very much when we get settled but how long we may be here we cannot tell some time I hope. June 16, 1864 It is cool & very pleasant although some cloudy. Was relieved from picket early this morning & have been cleaning my gun – lotching around picking plums &c – take it all around I have been quite lazy. Now let us go up on the look out & see about the surrounding objects & the country & first our headquarters is a large plantation house on the top of which is a lookout about 20 feet high from the top of the house & I am up here taking notes. This is a large plantation said to have been the residence of that old arch rebel John C Calhoun (whether this is so or not I dont know but will try to find out). There are some 12 to 15 negro houses on the premises & large fields & not the first sign of a fence. As you will see we are on the south end of Hilton Head Island on the east is the father of waters the broad Atlantic in plain sight from this high position & to the south is Tyber Island and there stands old fort Pulaski in fair view on the west is Fuska Island on the north is Bulls Island and at north of east is the Lawton plantation where government is cultivating large fields of cotton & sweet potatoes &c. Peanuts are growing here and water melons & a good assortment of garden vegetable there are some blackberries & the wild plum grows here but in less quantities than in Fla. Corn grows finely here. Taking a general view of the surrounding country & it is a splendid landscape made up of forest and fields Islands & streams which forms a part of this wonderful picture of nature which is beyond the power of man to imitate. Although the view is one of great beauty yet give me the fine scenery of the old Delaware hills that are speckled all over with herds of cattle & flocks of sheep where the lambs skip & play in all their innocent glee a land flowing with milk & pure water where butter & cheese grow & where the people are free to go & come at will. Ah! Give me back my old native hills there is my home. June 17, 1864 Cloudy & cool this morning the weather is quite comfortable but when you come down to the gnats & mosquitoes then talk about comfort. O get away trouble. The last night was one of severe action of open hostilities an entire siege all night long. Talk about sleeping in such a night – just as soon think of sleeping in bedlam I guess. I never was there as I know of unless it was last night – humph! It beat all my first wives relations & all the old maiden Aunts too away into the dark. Ah there was no getting away from them a woolen blanket would not keep them out they would sting right through it and draw a woolen blanket all over your head tight & in a few minutes there would be several under it & would alight on your nose and ears. Oh the pesky “critters” I dont see what they were made for unless it was to plague mankind. The old saying is there there was nothing made in vain and I guess they were not if that is their business.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 17:05:06 +0000
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