Camp Nea Richmond Va Dec 8th 1864 [1]
My Dear Wife
With much pleasure I Seat
myself to respound imediatly to your kind
facour of the 2nd inst which came to hand
this morning I am extreamly glad to
hear that yourself and children are still
in the injoyment of good helth also the
family which I hope may continue with
you all. this leaves myself and Brothers
quite well. I am verry sorry indeed to
hear that B.J.P. Jefcoat is no more but
now sleeps in the mity deep. I am so
sorry that he could not reach his home
before he died I would have bin so much
better satisfied if he could have bin
buried at the old church yard the thoug
=ht of his being buried in the see their
to make food for the fish of the see is
what greaves me worst of all. but it is
our grief cannot bring him back and no
man knows what is to be his last or where
he is to faul I hope his
spirit has gon to rest where wares are no more
[page 2]
I was looking over a paper last sunday
when I discovere his name there published
that he had died on the see while on his way
to Savanah to be Exchanged I cut the
piece out of the paper and sent it to
your pah in a letter from Lt. N. P. Jefcoat
thinking that you would not git such
correct news of his death as what you have
I never can forgit Ben he is not out of
my mind one hour in the day,
poor Ben and to think where his body
now sleeps [??] and meet us no More,
My Dear I have no strange news of interest
to write you all still remain quiet on
the lines our winter quarters are nearly
compleetid we Expect to moove in
them to morrow. you say you ware
Expecting that we ware gon to Georgia
but that a big Mistak we have no
such news here I wish we had bin
sent their I would think I ware
nearly home then but I think we
weill stay round about Richmond
during the winter and no telling
how much longer
[page 3]
so father he need not keep the box back
Expecting us to go to Georgia for we have no
prospect of going their whatever as yet,
My Dear that was a strange circumstance
indeed aboutElick killing the fine
buck at the corner of the potatoe patch
tell old E[l]ick I wish I could have seen
him about the time he pulled down
on him tell Elick I Raily beging him
the pleasure of killing the buck I
had rather killed him myself I no
Mother was afraid Elick would Kill
one of the cows He bet she charged
him to mind and not shoot a cow
I no the affair was amusing me

Vamp Near Richmond Va Dec. 15th 1864
My Dear Wife
With Extream pleasure
I will again Endevour to drop you a
few lines in respounding to yours of
the 4 inst which has come duly to hand
and am happy to hear that you are
all still well which I trust may
[page 4]
May continue with you all also the
coppy of and address from Mr Lynch
to Mrs B.J.P. Jefcoat which is quite and
affectionate piece Poor Ben I am so
sory to think of him and how he has
gon I cannot keep him our of my mind
scarsley for a moment only he could
have reached home before he died
what a consolation it woud have bin
to us all but also he is gon and we can
doe nothing by adding words,
My Dear you will see that I began
this letter to you on the 8th and intendid
to send it last mail but failed to doe
sp bu us being ordered to moove some
7 miles down the brest workes and
remained their for a day and when
I got back it was too late to git it off
last mail so I hope you will Excuse me
for not giting a letter from me last mail
I tryed to doe so but was preventid
by dutys call, My Dear I have nothing
perticular interesting to write you
at present things still remain quiet