Charleston April 6th 1863
Dear and Affectionate Wife I have the
pleasure of receiving yours of the
third inst and am more than glad
to heare that you are improving
and that my Dear little sisey are
injoying such good helth and sincer=
=ly hope good helth may continue with
you all Dear Rachel as for myself I
am not as well as I have bin I have
taken a slight coal from the bad
weather wee have had I supose and
my bowels are runing off too free
which makes me feel quite unwell
at the presant but I hope will be
better in a few days Dear Rachel I am
in chaleston at this time I came hear
to night for the purpose of meeting
you and as I arived at the post office
I received your letter stating that
you would not come I ame verry sorry
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of being disapointed in seeing the
darling attribute of my affection which
is non other but yourself I want to see
you so bad you cant imagin my feelings
but Dear Rachel it may all be for
the best wee have verry Exciting times
heare now wee have bin Expecting a fight
hear all day to day and I Eexpect wee
will have it to morrow all the wimen
and childrin was ordered off sillivans
Island Esturday so if you had come
down you would not bin permited
to go to the Island so you would had to
went back from heare I could not have
stayed with you longer than to night
so you no htat would have bin but
little satisfaction at such times as this
Dear Rachel we have bin talking for
a long time about a fight at chaleston
I thinke the time has come that we have
got it to try I feel confident that wee
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have got to go in to a fight before a
weeke roals round a god only nows
what will be the consequence the
fleet of Iron clads have arived tha
came to the bar last sunday about
twelve Oclock tha war twenty seven
in number 9 of them are Iron clads
and I understan this Eavning tha
have landed six Regt of yankes on
Coals Island no doubt wee will have it
all round and that in a few days
wee have troops coming in from savan
-na and North carolina and no doubt
some will heare from verginia by
to morrow night Dear Rachel you
must not come now untill this
Eexcitement is over then if I am spard
to live I will right for you but
god only nows how that will be
for sum of us have got to dye
in this strugle and we no not hoo
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Dear Rachel I feel like I want
to say a great Eal but cant tell how
to comence it but I trust that the
hand of prvidence may spare me to
see you after this battle is over I
have hope to beremembered by you
all still hoping wee may all meet
again give my respects to all the
family tell mother I received
her respect with pleasur and that
I have not forgoten her and to rece
ive the same from me the boys are
all well at this time Dear Wife as
soon as this fight is over I will right
for you and I want you to come and
see me, accept the best wishes
of your affectionat Husband til death
give my undying love to little sisey
Excuse this badly riten letter as it is
don in greate hast John. J. Jefcoat
Mrs R. E Jefcoat