Mount Pleasant Dec 1st 1863
Dear Rachel I seate myself to drop
you a few lines which leaves me
quite well hoping it may reach
you and all well Dear Rachel
I have no news of importance to
right you the weather is Extreamly
coal heare at this time and our
duty is still verry hard you may
Expect wee suffer a little
The Enemy has not bin doing
but little shooting for the last
too or three days no doubt you have
heard of the greate fight which
has taken place at lookout mounta
=in in the west in which Bragg
was driven back from his position
and I think if the truth was none
he got a whiping too but it is said
the yankey loss was much greater
than ours we have not yet got Eney
[page 2]
Casualty from the fight neither
have Eney of us got a letter from J. R Furtick sience the fight nor
heard Eney thing from Eney of the boys
out theire sience the fight,
Rachel I have not received Eney
letter from you this mail I am some
what at a loss to no the reson Why
if visets from your old sweet harts
causes you to be so cearles concerning
me you may Expect me to be
Equaley so concerning you
Perhapes you would like to heare
something concerning the cavelry
company it has not yet organised
and I dont no when it will the capt
is still in good sperits and believes
we will organise between this and
chrismas if attall s it may all befor
the best yet wee may git to spend
chrismas at home onse more &c &c &c
[page 3]
Dear Rachel I have a little privat
matter to right you on this side theire
fore you will distroy this when you
read it. William W. Williamson has
Receive a reched letter from some
friend in the contry concerning his
wife and her conduct and the names
of those who have bin runing after
her and keeping her I will Give you
the names which his friend rot him
I think the list was headed with
N. P. Jefcoat then J. F. Witt Walter
Harley John Simons Joe Duglas vandy
Jefcoat and the Preacher and another
sweet hart had come in from the
factory I tell you tha perticularly
Give her hell in full and William
like a fool first thing showed it to
N. P. Jefcoat and I believe to Eney
person that wants to see it N. P. Jefcoat
is perticular raring about it and ses he
[page 4]
Believes he was the hand right and
has rote to J. F. Witt amediantly to
make all inquary he can of the Mail
Rider to find out who give him the
letter and ses if he can find out who
rote it he is determan to kill them
he ses his carector is all he has got and
he rather die thin losse that it is
my opinion that he believes that
W. J. Jefcoat rote the letter, I drop
the subject when you read this destroy
it and have nothing to doe with the
scrape I close Give my love and Respt
to Mother and Ann houdy and keep
kisses for sisey and dont forgit your
=self your affectionate John J Jefcoat
you can tell Father that wee have not
yet heard Eney thing of Elick wee have
made all inquary we can on Sulls Island
and this side it is thought he is in charle
=ston or on James Island John J Jefcoat
hand the inclosed to W.J.Jefcoat