1862
Sulivans Island May 27
My Dear Rachel
I have Just recived
yours of the 25th and was verry glad
to heare from you that you ware Enjoy
ing good helth but was very sorry to
heare that my sweet little babe was
so verry sic that ads much to my
dissadesfied mine but I hope and
trust in providence that she is
better by this Dear wife you must
take the best ceare of the little
thing you can and if it is nessarry
you must send for Doct Wolf and
dont spear eny attention toward
her I intend to come on the train
next saturday knight if it is posable
for me to git off but I cant speake
positive about comeing for it is very
uncertain about giting furloughs heare
but I intend doing my best to come
[page 2]
and as the next day will be sunday
and horses an ha[n]ds will be idol I would be very
glad if you could git som one to ride
down towards Orangeburg to meet
me if I should git off an if I should
not git off it would not be much
time lost as it will be sunday
if I should come I will leave Orangeburg
about daylight sunday morning and
walk on u[n]til I should meet some
one I hope you can understan this
and use your Eferts to meet it accordingling
Dear Rachel wee have Exciting time
heare the yankes are still thretning
us strongly no dubt you have heard
of them taking coles Island and
batry Island that is all true tha
have taken them two Islands
and cant say how soon tha may
try to take this place wee intend
to try to meet them the best wee
[page 3]
can and give them the best fight
wee can Dear Rachel I was verry sorry
to heare that you ware so lonesome
and so much grieved about our
distressing situation but you must
not grieve youself so you must try
to drive those things off of you
mind as much as posable and hope
for better time as to my helth
it is much better I am geting
along verry well only I have a
bad cough an cole but I begin to fee
l pretty sausy again and I doe
hope and that this may reach you
and my sweet little babe enjoying
best of helth and I doe hope an
trust that wee may be permited
to meet once more this side of
of Eternity Deare Rachel if it
should so hapen that I cant come
home according to my Expectations
[page 4]
I want you to right to me and
give me the full history of things
up theire I want you to right to me
how meny young turkey you have got
and what sorte of a stan of potatoes
you have and how tha look and if the
hawks have cetch all of your chickens
and how meny pigs have died
sience I left and how carro is git=
ing along &c &c I must close
by saying I hope wee will
see Each other soon so good by
my loving wife
your Affectionate husband
direct your J. J. Jefcoat
letters in that
way
John J. Jefcoat
Sullivans Island
20th Regt S. C. V
Camp D.