Four pages in in Ink on Patriotic Lettersheet Port Royal SC with good fighting content.  Unfortunately the soldier did not date it nor include his unit no.  A number of Thomas Doty's exist but can't pin down which one he is.  
 
Letter is undated
I will tell you how we come to be called to at such a time of night.  We are right in sight of the rebels.  It is about ¾ mile a crossed the bay and the other side of the bay belongs to the rebels.  There is quite a large village over there.  We have men out on the other side of the bay and night before last our pickets got a quarreling with the rebel pickets and finally they got shouting at each other and you see it got quite a uproar.  In camp while on picket our orders are to stop everybody that we see in small boats in the bay or any boat and make them show their pass.  If they have no pass not let them go passed us.  If we see anybody out from the shore we. Holler halt.  If they don’t stop and come to us we have to shout at them and if we shout three times, every picket has got to shoot until it gets to camp.  Then the whole camp is alarming.  That is the way we was alarmed.  There has been a battle not far from us.  The troops went from there.  It took place on the 14th of this month.  We expected to go but we was detailed to guard this place, which was considered a more dangerous place than to be in the army.  We could hear the cannons roare as plain as day.  I felt anxious to go along with the other Rgts. But this happened to be a good place for us.  Our troops destroyed the best gunboat the Rebels had and drove them out of their entrenchments and rifle pits.  They fetched back 27 prisoners.  They was hard looking fellows.  I was on guard over them one night.  They was dressed not very good.  Some of them had no shoes and they drove back a drove of cattle and horses.  Our loss 8 killed, 20 or more wounded.  I’d don’t know how many of the enemy.  You would hear more about a battle than I could tell you if I were in it for we don’t hear much news.  There is a flag of truce comes down very often on the other side.  We don’t know what they want.  I look for an attack.  I may look in ____.  
We have enough to eat since we came here.  We have all the sweet potatoes we want.  All we have to do is to go and dig them but we have seen the time we not have enough to eat and we have all the sugar and molasses we want.  We go to the sugar houses and help ourselves.  One of our boys, that fellow that worked for Nelson London year ago last summer, I believe his name is Butoff, he got asleep when he was on picket and he was reported and court martialed.  He was fined one month pay and wear a ball and chain 15 days.  I guess I will keep awake.  This week one man out of Co H died.  It is the only one that has died out of this Regt.  This Regt. Has been very healthy.  We have not been paid of yet.  I lent my money to the boys to come home when they was up at ___ and they did not pay me and I got out of money.  Did not have any in a month.  Yesterday is got some.  I come very near forgetting how ____the most of our boys has not got any: girls 2.  Have not got a postage stamp nor cannot buy one here.  At any rate I shall have to send without paying the postage.  I hate to but I will send it.  I wish you would send me a Poughkeepsie telegraph.  I shall have to close soon. I would like to be up that way to enjoy some of the fine sleighing.  Give my respects to your father and mother____ sends his best respects to you all.
So I remain your soldier friend,
Thomas Doty
Please Kay, Sarah and Mary all to write a free lines and send down here.  I would be very happy to hear from you.  Excuse bad writing.