Couristeer Station May 19

Friend Silvanus

I now write to you to let you know that we are all well at presant and hope these few lines will find you the Same we left Ship Island th 15 day of April bound for some place but we did not know where and we Started down to the pass where the mississippi river emptes out we went up the up within about Seven miles of the fort we could hear the report of the guns and it was A quite an excitement to see them Shells go up in the are and Come down again there was about 3 hundred that diserted from the fort a day before they give it up they Spiked all the guns they Could They took all there guns and Come up the other side of the river Co H was over the other side of the river and they took them prisners and brought over here and they Said that when there wold a Shell Strike in the fort the ground was so soft that when one went in there it would go down as mutch as ten feet if it kiled on it bury him all up when there was a nother one Come it would blow him out again this regt is now holding it there is Seven Co down to the forts and 2 here and 1 over the side of the river fort Jackson was Stove up prety bad but fort philups was not hurt mutch new orleans is all wright now after pickeune butler went in there The miasquetoes here are as thick as devils in hell I Suppose it has been prety cold there this winter but it has been like Summer out here I suppose you get your regulers but look out for your firewood do not go up to Charles Street to often Since we have been here there has been about 50 Contra bands Come over here They are to work at the fort give my respecks to all the folks

George A. Bailey to Silvanus Lovejoy