Sulivans Island
June 3rd 1862
Dear Rachel I seat myself
this morning for the pleasure
of addressing you a feaw lines
which leaves me in tolerable
helth thou not good my helth is
bad but I hope this may reach
you an the baby in good helth
and Enjoying yourselvs well
I am verry sorry that I could
not git off to come home according
to my Expectation and promis,
but it was uterly imposable for
me to come the day that I went
to the cornel to git him to sine
my furlough he had Just receved
orders to not give eny fur loughs
under no consideration whatever
it matered not how the case
might have bin if you had bin
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sic and dying it would have bin
imposable for me have come and
I am hartly sorry for I want
to see you how bad I
cant tell with this pen and
ink. and what is wors than all
I cant tell when I can come
whether ever again or not
wee are Expecting a fight hear
dayle tha are at it now on
James Island the table that I
am righting on is trimbling
now from the Jar of their
canon I can see the smoke of
them verry plain with the
natural eye, the dispatch from
Richmon virginia Esturday
states that tha are fighting
there desperate and still going
on I hope tha are fighting
the deciding fight there
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now. Dear Rachel I want to see you so bad you cant
tell I have meny things to tell
you of the ups and downs I have
seen sience I left I am afraid Ile
stay away so long that Ile forgit
a heep before I see you their
is always somthing new in
camps. I cant tell what is to
become of my wheet you must
do the best you can towards
giting some one to gether it
if you should git it gethered
after it is hauled in the
hous fix a slip gap their by the
cro bline and have my hogs and
Henrys sows that have yong
pings turned in and then put
up the gap as I would not want
every bodys hogs to be going in t[h]eire
you could manage it in this
way you can turn them in
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an let them stay in for
a day and then have them
sliped out for a whil so tha can
git water an have them
put back an so on an so on
but you mus mine the pigs
dont slip through the cross
fence an git in the corn,
tha have come a splendid
rain sience I have bin right=
ing this it is a splendid time
to ly up I wish I had you
to ly with me to night
I think wee could injoy our
selfs prity good dont you
think so too, but alas goodby
I must close by asken you
to Excus this badly riten letter
I hope weel meet again
your affectionate lover
and weell wisher
John. J. Jefcoat