Ship Island
		Mississippi. March 15, 1862

Dear Mother

		In my last letter
written Sunday, March 2 I told you
we had orders to prepare to go on
board the Constitution for Ship
Island the next morning. But after
getting everything packed some-
thing was not ready & it was not
until the next evening that the
brigade (4th Wisconsin. 21st Indiana
& Sixth Michigan) were finally ta-
ken aboard. The steamship started
Wednesday noon, and arrived at
Fortress Monroe in the afternoon.
There several passengers and un-
limited quantities of baggage were
taken aboard. Five women belonging
to the 4th Wisconsin were put off
here. Finally an end was brought to all
this Thursday noon & the “Constitution”
pulled stakes for Ship Island.

    The boat was rather crowded, so 
that part of the Indiana 21st
had to stay on the hurricane decks
exposed to the weather, which how-
ever, was quite pleasant, except on
Friday, when the wind blew
& the waves rose & behold, there
was much sea-sickness.
    Nothing else of interest transpired
on our voyage. We arrived off the
Island Wednesday afternoon, but did not
land until the next day.
    There were 7000 men here at pre-
vious to our arrival. The number
now is nominally 10,000 but the
regiments are not full. Deaths
& discharges have reduced them
to something about 8 or 900.
   One half of this island is sandy
with hardly a living shrub on it.
The other half is timbered land.
There is plenty of good water here.
There is a bakery here, and after we

get settled, I expect will have 
soft bread. At present we have got 
no kettles to cook with, no wood
& nothing but hardbread & water.
There are two men of war, several
gun boats & transports off here. I no-
ticed several large guns near the
wharf as we came up.
    The “Constitution” is a large
steamship belonging to the Pa-
cific Mail Steamship Company.
She is 368 feet long & 75 feet
                                                          2,000
wide, & will comfortably accommodate^
    I do not suppose we will
stay here long. It seems to me 
that as soon as Gen Butler
arrives some more will be 
made.

	Yours affectionately
		H Bostock

Send me Williams address
if you have it.


There was a terrible storm yes-
terday. We thought the sea would
overflow our camp, but it moderated.
Our tent was blown over & we had
to set on the edge & keep it down.





Direct
Ship Island
Mississippi

			Mrs Maria Bostock
				Marshall
			Calhoun County
				Michigan
				    U S A