May [] 1863
text cont from #5
walking on the surface of the water. Altogether it was a beautiful picture. One needing the pencil of a painter. Those who had bunks raised from the ground remained all night. Those who had not were obliged to take up their beds and walk to higher ground and sleep in the open air. The next day the 3rd the camp was broken up and removed to higher quarters. This morning was exceedingly sultry, no air stirring and the sun pouring down on our heads like fire. It is better here in the morning than at our camp. From 6 till nine in the morning it is so hot you feel as there was not any air. At 12M we went a little higher … but about 10 O’clock we rested our legs. The tide had risen to our tent. There is nothing to do to avoid these therefore unavoidable mishaps. But let some officers be … by which they may suffer a trifle and the men would [suffer]. At the time it is about … we should have started for camp and got the stuff up, But we were obliged to stay … two preceding ones. The steamer [arrived] without any news. There was a lot of missionary works and tracts distributed among the men also a few … In the afternoon I took a walk in the woods I saw quite a variety of … to attract my attention but none worth describing here except it may afford you some amusement to know what surrounds us. If I have an opportunity I will try….
5th Last night lightning kept up one almost continuous flash. It would flash from one cloud to another and then disappear. There … each other between and for an instant all would be darkness, then lightning would burst from some dark corner and [light] the heavens as far as the eye could reach. My pen cannot do the scene justice and I will leave the rest to your imagination.
Returned to camp which after all seems like home com-
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