August 10th 1862 [1]
Dear Husband
Your letter of Friday last
was read with pleasure last night
It gratifying to us to hear that your
health continues good, we are all quite
well in health, but Suffer with heat,
it is the warmest weather I ever felt
although we had rain about ten days
ago the earth is now parched and vegi
tation looks like it was cooked, The hea
-lth of the neighborhood is generally good
Edward Harleys two daughters Selima
and Columbia are both sick, the
former was better yesterday evening,
and the later worse, The were looking
for Ed, All the Stock is in fine condi
tion, Kitt is very fat, Jimmy's Sow has
sick fine Pigs and my Sow came [2]
up the other day with two large
nice ones, the cattle also looks well
Notwithstanding we have had a bad
crop year I think we shall make
plenty both Potatoe patches looks well
the balance of the patch in front of the house
and the cow pen at the Lot, are in Slips
[page 2]
your Father has a bout fourteen
acres of new ground, the undergrowth
cut and piled and Johns new ground
Srubed over, his Hogs all came home
the other day Martha has put them
in the new ground and will feed
them there for some time, his Dog Maj
committed Suicide one day last week
Martha and Jane E went to Blantons
She blocked him to keep him from
following her, he jumped the pailings
and Hung hinself, we have a good
deal of old corn, your Father has
taken seven Baskets in the shuck
to feed Kitt this year, Your largest
Stack of Fodder has not been tuched
nor wont be, he will commence
pulling Fodder tomorrow and will
feed with green food as long as
it lasts, the Rackoons and Squirrels
are gitting their full Share of the
crop, and the Dogs wont tree them
we are glad to hear that J.J. Green
is getting his health again Bassil
says he is not able to do duty
Yet he is looking badly
[page 3]
Alfred Owens has been at Home
some time on sick furlough and
is in very low state of health, and
will be for some time I think
they have sent for him to return
he says he will have to take the cars
and leave his horse, he cant ride
Tell Frank Green Miss Julia B
Holt is to return to Dreds this
month and that he must come up
if it is only long Enough to fall upon
his knees before her, we have heard
from J.W. Bullen twice since the
Richmond Battle he is quite well
Wash Halford is at home, Says Moss
Baxley is a large fat man, Camrons
people are very uneasy about Joe &
Pink, your Father went this morning
to let them know what you said of Joes
illness, Camron is trying to make
arrangements to go to see them, we
have heard lately that Marion Wall
was quite sick and that Cap has
gone to him, accept of mine, Jimmy,
and Idas best love, May the Lord have
mercy upon you, soon permit you to come to us
Good bye your wife M.A.E Drummond
[page 4]
My dear Sons
I am glad to hear that you are both well, may you
continue so, and faithfully discharge
Your duty both to your God: and to
your Country, Me and the girls
are quite well and so is Johns wife
and children Gus Says he has lea
rned through a letter from a widow
of Graniteville that I had been there
and he expects that I will go again
I was there not long since and saw
two widows of that place, and may
go back again but just let me
tell you that I can see a widow
not one hundred miles from home
that is by far Superior to any of
the Granite widows, one of the widows
up there says E.H.H. must write to
her, he is the most popular man
amoung the Granites that ever
I heard of, Tell Sid his mother and
Sisters are well and Dred wants
them to go to Graniteville. Present
me kindly to friends. accept my best wishes
Your Father John W. Drummond