Dear Aunt Helen

     I have been intending so write to you ever since we came South but have not succeeded yet in fulfilling that or several other good intentions, but today this cool wind seems so Hunter like that my thoughts are drawn that way more than ever. I can hardly believe there is only ten degrees difference between this morning's temperature and that of the scorching days we had last week.

The thermometer varies but little here, our comfort or misery depends altogether on the strength of the breeze. With a strong one we are very comfortable, with a moderate one we get along, with little or none we are perfectly wretched.
     Mary wrote me she hoped I would come to Hunter without waiting for a formal invitation if I received leave of absence. She may be sure I should have. I should only have stopped to stuff my pockets full of fishing tackle & tuck Annie under my arm and then jumped on board the first North River

boat. I shall not have the pleasure this year though. much as I should like it and little occasion as there seems to be for Keeping us with our regiments so closely down here. A short vacation would do us all here good, no one wants to stay away long, our officers, who have had sick leave, all say they were anxious to be with their regiment again by the time their three or four weeks had passed.
Lately they have had to go about New York in plain clothes the appearance of an officer away from his regiment occasions

so much unpleasant remark. WE are not likely to have anything important to do down here for some time, WE never did have enough men to do much though we had too many to let remain idle, but now over half have been sent to reinforce McClellan.
     I have been slowly recovering from the jaundice for about ten days and am now nearly well. I took enough calomel to Kill a yoke of oxen. My liver must have been in a condition to which Prometheus'es was not a circumstance. However I take medecine

so rarely that I can afford to dose pretty heavily once in a few years. I am fast regaining flesh and strength and losing the deep-orange complexion that has recently distinguished me.
WE dont have much to vary the routine of garrison duty, an occasional alarm or a reconnoisance is about all. Once since we evacuated Dawfuskie we have visited it to procure some lumber. WE landed in small boats and threw out pickets to watch all the roads. the rest of the men then stacked arms and went to pulling down one of Mr Stoddard's

barns. In this way we soon got what lumber we required and as we could not return until the tide change we rested under the trees and on the piazza of the house adding a desert of watermelons and figs to our lunch of bread and cheese and claret. The watermelons were a great treat but figs are a humbug. It is not often that anything of consequence occurs during such expeditions but they give a pleasant variety to garrison duty and amusements, both of which are rather flat. Give much love to mary for me.
I hardly hope to receive an answer to this but

if, dear Aunt, you ever find time to send me a few lines I need not say how happy I should be to receive them.

yours affectionately
Robert S Edwards