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Cite as: L.D. Bradley
Pearce Civil War Collection
Navarro College, Corsicana, Texas
Mud Island July 27th 1864
My own Little Darling.
I have commenced to write you another letter, not because I have
any news of sufficient interest to communicate, but for the reason that I am rather
apprehensive that if I should fail in keeping up my part of our regular correspondence,
you also might become negligent as to yours; which sort of conduct on your part, I can
assure you, I would regard, not only, as very grievous, under present circumstances, but
actually a misfortune. You will perceive, by the address above, that since my last letter
we have moved our quarters, and are now on a little island, two miles wide & three long,
known and designated by the euphonious name & title as above set forth, & separated
from Galveston island by what is termed San Luis Pass, which is about %2 or % of a mile
wide. There are two or three other little islands in sight, but this is the one on which our
fortifications are built & it is, by all odds, the most desolate and out of the way place it
has ever been my misfortune to be located in. There is not, nor ever has been, any house,
or settlement of any kind, on it; not a tree, or even a bush as high as your head; nothing
but sand and, for music, the continual roar of the surf, the whistling of the winds, & the
melancholy cry, or rather croak, of the sea gulls, as they float lazily by, viewing with
apparent, and, I think, just wonder our unusual presence. It seems to me as if we were
entirely out of the world, & to confirm the appearance we have been here now about a
week, & have not yet received a single mail; though, speaking of mails, we have now
established a courier line to Galveston, so that we will, hereafter, receive our letters &c
regularly from that place. We are stationed here, it seems, because this is regarded as one
of the points on the coast necessary to be defended, & for the further reason that blockade
runners sometimes come in at this Pass & require protection from, or against, the
blockaders. There is a large Blockade Steamer just outside the pass now, nearly in range
of our guns, &, as we have nothing else to do, we keep a detachment always ready at the
guns, to open fire on her provided she should come any closer. Our fortifications, so far
as I am able to judge, are very good, & we have barracks sufficient for the accomodation
of a portion of the Regt. &, tents & plank shelters, or sheds, for the balance.
Notwithstanding the loneliness of the place, I am rather disposed to like it better than
Galveston, for the reason that we are not troubled with mosquitoes, the breeze being so
continual, & sometimes so hard that it completely clears the island of them. I find, also,
that there is another thing which influences me as to my stay at different places, which is,
what might be termed, indifference; if I can't be at home, it seems to me, that I have no
preference whatever as to other places. I am satisfied that there is no such thing as
becoming accustomed to staying away from home, at least, where one has such a home as
I have, that is, a darling little wife of whose sincere love & affection I am assured, and for
whom, such is my love and devotion, I would, at any time, willingly lay down my life.
Little Honey I wonder frequently whether it is possible for you to love and devotion, I
would, at any time, willingly lay down my life. Little Honey I wonder frequently
whether it is possible for you to love me as much, as wholly, singly and devotedly, as I