I transcribed the letter a few years ago and am posting that here. If fresh eyes see something a little differently than I did, please let me know.
Oct. 13th 1863
Camp 18th Regt. on James Island
Dear Father & mother, brothers and sisters, we write you a few lines which leaves neither of us well. We are both troubled with dierrhaea but we are still doing duty. I expect we are permanently stationed in full a view of the yankees on Morris Island. The fleet and most polls looks like a forest & the island is coted over with white tents. We will have to do picket duty every other night long. It is at the battery, they could shell us at any time. We are about 2 miles to the right of Fort Johnson. They keep a shelling once in a while first from one side and then on the other. We are the best fortified you ever saw, though they may shell us to pieces but they will have something to do. We hope these few lines may find you all well. The boys have not bin put under arrest any more since we left Mt. Pleasant. Jas. Cartee & Browning runaway from the regulars last Sunday night. They sent a lieut.
(Pg. 2) after them. Col. Wallace had them put under arrest but I think we will keep them. Eliab, Dr. Pope has returned from home and sais he wants you to make him as neat a pair of shoes as you can, about a half number larger than Maj. Bramlet's. He wants them sewed. He ses he will pay you 25 dollars for them. Send them by the first chanse you have. Do some of your nice work for two or more reasons, one to show the regt. the sort of work you can do. Have them as slick as posible. If you get to stay at home you will have several jobs from this regt. & I do hope you may get to stay at your peacefull home. I want you to be sure to make my boots as I wrote the other day for I can sell the shoes that Neal sent me. I want you to write what my sole leather cost per lb. so I may no what to charge for halfsoling. Neal, I want you to come and see us. Though we are stationed 9 miles from Charleston, though we have wagons comeing from pontoon bridge every day so you get some chanse of comeing any day. Take the road at the bridge
(Pg. 3) for Secessionville insted of Fort Johnson, then enquire for the 18th regt. on the east end of the island. I wish you had a come with Ellison. We hear little or nothing from Braggs army. There is no signs of any early demonstrations being made here. I wrote to you about the salt J. V. Spence was a sending home & Ellison & Murphy, are in two sacks both marked, one bottle to H. Y. Spence, all the little tricks to you that is not marked otherwise. Eliab, if you need the salt you can take what I am a sending home or G. R. ses he will give you half of the salt and you may take the other. You pay the freight at Williamston & write what the cost of freight is on the salt. E. H., do try & get a detail from the sec'ty of war so you may go in to some Confederate shop if you leave home.
(Pg. 4) Mother, Lucinda, Vashti, & Hannah, I want you to be as cheerfull about us as you can for we enjoy ourselves very well. Mother, I would write for you to come & see us but you could not come past Columbia, so if I get sick & go to the hospital there I want you to come & take me home though I hope I may have my health. I feel some better this eavening. George ses he wants to no what has become of Vehoon if he is gone to his command or not. Hannah, I want a pair of gloves for I lost mine on big Black Miss. I have my cap now, boys, so please pay the Mrs. Spences that money, they may need it. I will draw a blanket before long & all the good clothes I can & what I dont need I will send home. I expect to sell or swap my watch for there is severold that need it in Co. D. Boyce got 17 & Forrow 7 votes. Write the return. Dear friends I want to see you all bad. God defend the right & save us threw the blood of Christ. Write all the news.
G. R. & M. V. Barkley
J. M. Watson is on guard.
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