My Dear John,
I have received yours of the 27 may; wich gave me
great pleasure in reading it preacious lines & communecations
I was more t[h]en glad to learn that you are improving in health
once again: I am will in body but not in mind
the baby Masiller is a great deal better than whin I wrote
last to you, she had cut her lower eye tuath no doubt this was
a help to her sickness her bowels sill run of[f] alitle altho she is
quite peart and lively..& I hope these few lines may reach you
enjoying the best of health and sausy as ever.
Dear John I have nothing of mutch importance to write to you
only this Your si[s]ter Ann Furtic has a fine sone the first day
of June: your Father was hear yesterday he was telling me about
it he says she is doing very well. Dear John I did not think
I would have to when last I wrote last I would write again before
seeing you but alas sutch is the case with us: your Father went
down last Sunday in order to meet you in Orangeburg to my great
suprise you were not there what a disappointment withe me
I am left in wonder. I dont no what might have occured with you since
last you wrote Mr Fedrick Livingston went down to C[h]arlestown last
monday week: to oversee those negroes wich is carried from on this
side of the river, they are wrking some were on James Island: he come
home last sturday night he says he hear[d] not[h]ing of you, also he says
the yankees ware shelling the hands in severall diferent p[l]aces
he is going back next thrsday you may imagine how I feel in my pres
ent position I did hear the yankees were shelling silivans Island
last wednesdany the day after you wrote, also two compayes had lift
the p[l]ace. I cant beleave this tale. I dont no what to think about you not
coming acrding to promise. I hope and trust in god it is
noting serious hapend with you: I cant doubt you coming if
it was a po[s]able thing as you no how tings are at home.. your wheat
is now ripe and fit for cutting you no all this no doub, I must do the best
I can.. however.. your wheat is to be cut next thursday acording to agree
ment I would have bin so glad of it could have bin so you could
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have bin at home this weeak acording to promice I would have felt like
another person, you must realy excuse my communication for I hardly
no what I am writing. I am so confused in mind. so you must alow
for me you can only imagine how I felt on the return of your Father
last Sunday I kept looking down to wards bull swamp. after while I saw
the bugy coming how glad I was. when it got near enoughf I could see only
one there in you may imagine how I felt I had made all preaperat
-ons posable for you: I never had any ting to make me feel as I did that day.
I could not eat neiter sleep [?] my heart did ake and is s[t]ill no better.
what must I do. I will look for you till I see you let it be long or short
so you muts use every efort in your power to come home. onece more to see your [muts = must]
loving wife and I think I would feell like living and trying to get a long
with my little affairs in better sprits as I am I am fit for nothing..
you wrote to no how many young turceys I have got: I have a leaven ju[s]t as
many as I had when you left they look beatiful. the last hen hatched
only three they all died, all the little pigs are alive only one of He[n]rys white sows are
dead the least one only eight living 4 of mine 4 of Henryes the old peat sow has [peat = pet?]
lost all 4 of hers, I think the cat caut them the looked very fine every day
she would come up with one less till they were all gon: my chickens look
fine the hawks has not botered me mutch since you left & your potatoes
has come up very fine the be[s]t s[t]and we ever had since trying live they look fine
with excepion of one ting the little pigs has taken to root theme up it is the hardest
matter to keep they little reaches out I put them in a pen it was not long [reaches = wretches]
be fore they rooted out so I took the ax and saped all round the pacch the
bst I could, I dont think they can get in now unless they root under the
fence. your corn looks remarcabaly well the garden peace is hier than
the pailings some not quite so high, the maneucred look fine a[l]so, if it has
a cance it will make good Corn, it has bin alitle dry we had a little
shower to day, ever ting cot refreshes very mutch my garden is poorly
the irish potatoes look fine that all they turkeys ruined my plants finaly
I have sot out a few the oterday they like they will die I examined your
meet about two weaks ago and fond a planty bugs and skipers, I took it all out of the barrel
and put alittle ashe over it to prevent them: I have tried to Give you a history of tings hear in a
short manner pray excuse my bad riting I could write all day if it would anny good I come to a
clise by saying except an undying kiss for your self affectionate wife R.E.Jefcoat