Dec. 26, 1861. Willie went to town in the morning. The boys went ducking in the morning killed five & fishing in the afternoon.

[Winston Stephens to Davis Bryant]

                                                                                                Fernandina  Dec 26th 1861.

Dear Davis

                I do not expect to make this long, or interesting, & hope you will excuse me for trespassing upon your time.

                I hope you have had a good time at Rose Cottage, & that all the rest injoyed your society & that you mutually injoyed a merry Christmas.  I often thought of you all & wished to be with you, but it did appear that fate was against it.

                We arrived at the Draw Bridge about Eleven oclock at night after we left Jacksonville, & remained there until yesterday, when the Cars were sent out & all day, we were movving & fixing up Camps, which you see occupied all by Christmas.

                Henry Hopkins will deliver this & if you can get me a pair of dark or black pants (I think your length will fit me) but have the seat more full.  I want a good article if you can get it, & a pair of No 7 Boots & send them by Mr Greely on his return from Palatka on next Thursday.  Mr Greely will call on you & try on the Boots.  Genl Hopkins starts up to Tallahassee in the morning for our State pay & I can send you the money soon or bring it when I return home on furlough.

                We have no news here of interest to you. The United States has compiled with the demand of England & will sent Messrs Mason & Sidell over in a United States Vessel.

                I dont think we are to have a battle here as it would likely have taken place before this. We have about three thousand men here with the Mississippi Regiment which arrived Tuesday & are now encamped on the main land one & a half mile from the drawbridge. Maj Hopkins took Supper with us tonight & sayed they had eighteen guns mounted & thinks they can keep back the Fleet of Lincoln if sent here.

                We have good rations so far & the men have behaved well but I fear the whiskey sold in this place is to be the means of considerable trouble. We commence in the morning to drill. We are to have a good drill officer sent to us by Col Hopkins. We have been temporarily attached to the 4^th Regiment and quartered with them.

                I should hate to stay here after the cold weather is over, as the sand flies & musquitoes will be very bad & I think the place sickly.

                We had a report here that Fort Pickens had been taken but I think the report too good to be true, but we hope it is so until contradicted. Give love to Willie when you see him & tell him not to let the Yankees pass up the River, as I want to find the family all there when I go to Welaka.

                I remain yours truly           

                                                                                                 Winston

[Winston Stephens to Octavia Stephens]

                                                                                                Fernandina Dec 26th 1861

My Dear Wife

                I have not seen a line from you since I left & I begin to feel quite anxious to see your fist on paper. I have just finished a letter to Davis, though short & uninteresting. I sent the letter to him by Henry Hopkins & as he returns in a few days & I presume I shal have a letter from Davis giving some details of his Christmas at “Rose Cottage” & hope to have a favorable report. I did want so much to be with you on that occasion, but it was decreed otherwise & I submit as cheerfully as possible.  We were ordered to this post on the morning of the 25th & the Cars were sent out for us & it took us all day to fix up camps, so you see my Christmas was not an idle one if not a pleasant one.  If I live I will see the next is differently spent.  We are now quartered with the fourth Regiment, Col Hopkins commanding.  We are only temporarily attached to this Regiment.  Capt Hopkins thinks we will not be here more than one month & if longer I can get a furlough of one week each month.  This is a dry & apparently a healthy place & I feel contented at present but the insects will be desperate here in warm weather.  Some of the Companys have Mumps & measels, but we have given orders for our men to keep themselves seperated & I hope by precaution to avoid these diseases.

                Capt Hopkins will start to Tallahassee in the morning to get our State pay which is for 26 days.  The pay in this service is not so much as it was in the old by about 25 or 30 dollars & I will not make so much by a good deal as I expected, my pay is $100 pr month but out of that I have to pay for my rations, servant hire, washing &c which will reduce it to about $85 pr month.  I shall be as equinomical as possible & try to clear all I can & if Burrel makes a good crop we will come out all right.  I hope you are not alarmed about what I wrote in my last but you know it is best to be on the lookout, keep those boys at home or about home on Sundays.

                We have about three thousand men on the Island including the Mississippi Regiment who are incamped near the Draw Bridge about six miles from Town.  Maj Hopkins took tea with us to night & told me there was eighteen Cannon mounted ready for action & they are erecting more on their batteries, he thinks he can keep the Yankees back or sink their vessels. If they land they will have a hard road to travel as the ground is favorable to our ambuscade we are to have the fun of whipping the Yankees at this place for these reasons ‑ 1st when Connant left here & went on to Washington we had no defences & he made a report to that effect & then was the time for them to strike but they have waited until we are ready to receive them & they know it & is hardly worth the lives they would spend in taking it.  The Blockader came up near the fort a few days ago and they sent some small shot at them & drew them on until in range of the heavy guns, they then turned one of the big guns on them & they were off in Bull Run time.

                I went out to the light house late yesterday & took a look at the Blockader & she looked as large as life but did not come in reach of our gunns.

                If anything happens worth writing you can write by the Sumpter.  I hope you all had a merry time this week with Davis.  We dont see any of the feminnie here only once in awhile & then it is good for soar eyes, you can see the men stand & look at them as far as they can be seen.  poor fellows I feel sorry for them.  You may rest easy on that score.  I hope when this reaches you that Mr Simmons will be at the mill hard at work & hope Clark will hurry up fast as I want Burrel with those chaps or they will not hurt themselves at work.

                Sergt McLeod who is one of our mess received a box to day full of fixings for Christmas, such as pies pound cakes sweet cakes sausages & all the good things too tedious to name & had like to have foundered myself to night.

                I give in the War Tax before I left Palatka. I hope you have heard from Mrs Bradley before this. Write to Mr Smith & ask him to send my letters here.  See Clark & ask him to see Mr Tyner & get a barrel of syrup & I will pay him the money when I come if at 50ct pr Gallon.  Give my love to Clark & family, Mother & family & say to them we are fat & saucy.

                Good night my Dear Wife & Daughter & God bless & protect you all.  Your aff husband

                                                                                                Winston Stephens

Kiss my dear Rosa & let her kiss you for me.  Direct your letters as follows                                                                                                                            Winston Stephens

                                                                                                Fernandina

                                                                                                care of Capt Hopkins

                                                                                                St Johns Rangers

PS the United States has consented to give up Messrs Mason & Sidell ‑ The Cowards