March 19, 1862. Mother & Henry went to Clark’s in the morning, just as they were starting. Willie & Lewis brought me a letter from Winston and one for Clark. In the afternoon Davis went to see Clark about my going somewhere out of the way of the enemy, concluded to have me stay at Clark’s. Davis and I wrote to Winston after supper D took the letters to town.

[Rebecca]  March 19, 1862.  letters recd. from Winston insisting on Tivie's moving back from the river.  The enemy have gone up Dunns' Lake to burn the St. Mary's and other vessels lying there – Consult with Mr Stephens and it is thought best for Tivie to go over the Mr Stephens for a time leaving H & G and myself here.

[Octavia Stephens to Winston Stephens]   

                                                                                                March 19, 1862

My own dear husband

                Your long letter was received this morning. I might have had it easily enough yesterday, but suppose Josy forgot, for Mr Dean told Josy that I was Clark’s, & Mr D- thought it would be sent over by horseback or he would have brought it himself when he came at Dinner time.You can not think of the different plans &c we have had & thought of to day, at one time I thought they would send Rosa & I to Ocala any how, as you have such fears for me, but all think it entirely unneccessary & in fact "jumping out of the frying pan into the fire" for the enemy will go there next for they know that Marion is the richest place, and I said not go for we could not move all scarcely Rosa & I, as every thing is situated now, so as Clark is going to stay & be parolled if necessary, & he says he will protect me, so I am going there right off & stay & if the enemy come I will hide & they are not going to hunt me up.  Mother & the boys will stay at home as long as permitted, everyone thinks without being molested, if they come to burn why then they'll burn, but much quicker if no one is there, we will have to meet them at some place why not now have it over, do not think that I trust them, for I do not, & will keep out of their way.  I will be safe enough, for Clark will give up so easily that they'll not trouble any thing of his, we can not go to Ocala, & if your life is spared we will get together somehow & somewhere, so much depends our crop now nearly planted, and it is left to us, we will get along for awhile, if not why then we will have to do the best we can, going to Ocala will not help, but I think make it worse, oh if I could only talk with you, why did you not come yesterday, or the day Lt Gray got back if only for one night, the officers could have spared you that long certain, they'll keep you there as much as possible.  Why do you not disband your company?  I hear you have only one months provisions, & there is no governor I hear, Pearson's company have mustered out, do give up, come home, parole & let us try and be happy here for the present at least, the State will be conquered any how, so give up now as many others have had to do, territorial government will be better than none & we have none now.  Governor Milton took the State papers into Georgia & when he returned the people put him out of office.  My dear if you lay down arms now they will parole you all, think, do my dear.  Think of our baby & me, if you & my property should be taken away what would become of us, when if you should come home you might save all.  You need not talk of the defence of your home & country for you can not defend  them, they are too far gone now, so give up before it is too late. I fear it is now too late for I think they are on their way up the river now, we heard last night through negroes that two boats one the Darlington, had gone up Dunns creek, but heard there were 10000 men on three boats which you know can not be so, so no telling how much is true, they seem to be stringing their boats all up the river. I suppose that the coffee the enemy took was not private property, it was Government property. I have not heard of their injuring any private property yet, they say they will not, they have opened a store in Jacksonville I hear & selling flour at five $ a barrel &coffee 8 lbs to the dollar, oh I am so sorry you did not come on Mon until I was nearly sick, yesterday I was at Tina’s & had something to take up my attention but looked for you home when I came, each day I felt more sure of seeing you, but  again I am put off for no telling how long, perhaps forever.  I have tried to write in good spirits to you, for I had some hopes of our State's being saved, but now all that hope is gone, I tell you I am miserable, & I come to me, & let us bear what comes together.

                I think the negroes will run, then if the enemy burn why they’ll have to burn, all think they will not burn the house if Mother is here, be sure my darling they shall have nothing to do with your wife, I will keep out of their way, Clark certainly can and will protect me, & by the time, or before you get this I will be at Clark’s, put yourself as much at ease as possible, and take care of yourself & come as soon as possible. the State can not be defended, so give up now while you have life and quickly too, for things are coming to a crisis. I wonder if you think Old George is with us, he is not. I supposed you meant for him to stay in Ocala, but your saying let him stay at home & take care of the hogs &c I thought you thought he was here. no one has seen the hogs in a long time. Tina is doing nicely so is the baby “Charles Henry.” Our baby improves fast & looks finely, is nearly weaned, nurses only once in twenty four hours, that is in the middle of the night.  I will have to take some of the bagging for pants for the negroes, but I will not trouble you with that, I will find something to clothe them.  We do not know anything of Willie.  Can not hear from any direction, but from you. You do not say how many companies are with you, we have heard differently at different times the last account were that you had 800 men with you.

                You speak of our going in the woods & not letting the negroes know where we are, it is impossible & we are afraid to go far for fear they may cross from Dunns creek & find us.  No my darling I think it best as it is arranged.  I dislike to leave home but will as you have such fears for me.

                It is growing dark.  I have said all I can say. Davis will take this to Sergt Shedd to night as we heard he was going to you tomorrow. Once more I say give up.  I will take care of myself.  I shall hope to see you soon.  My prayers shall be constant for your safety.  Ever yr loving

                                                                                                Wife

P.S. I send you a package of envelopes, I had bought from Smith before you wrote, could not get any after you wrote. I have part of a pack. Mother sends her love and says she wishes you were safely at home, & that you must not be so much troubled about us. I have just read Davis’ letter and find it the same as mine only in better style. My dear I cannot destroy your letters.  I have them packed away as my choicest jewels. I have had my small trunk packed since the first of the excitement her in case they came to burn I would try & save a few things for Rosa & me to wear. Good Night my dear dear husband. God bless you & bring you home safely to us, your own

                                                                                                Tivie

[Davis Bryant to Winston Stephens] 

                                                                                                Welaka Mch 19. 1862

Dear Winston

                Your letter to Tivie which should have been rec’d yesterday did not come to hand until to day (this morning) and I did not know its contents until just before dinner, when I returned from an attempt to get some “fresh meat.” The tenor of it troubles me much, as it shows that you are in painful anxiety about affairs here, which, tho’ natural under the circumstances, (I know from my little experience) I now think is in a measure greater than need be. I am very sorry we did not get it earlier that we might have had more time to consider before writing you, or before it is necessary we should form a conclusion. However, our conclusion is nearly the same with the plan I had formed before. Your fears for Tivie, particularly, caused me to feel my responsibility greater than before, so I concluded I would call in other counsel, and accordingly went over to Clark’s to consult with him, as soon as possible, and have just returned with the conclusion that Tivie had better stay there with his wife until all danger is passed. He is to stay at home he says and will protect her which I have no doubt he can do without trouble, as I have no fear of her being molested then at all. And in fact have no idea she would be if here with Mother and the boys. As the soldiers are under no circumstances, allowed to go about at will, and we certainly have nothing to fear from any officer that would, undoubtly, have charge of men that might be permitted to go outside of the lines. Numbers of families have been more exposed than yours without being harmed. The case in Fernandina there seems to be some doubt about as the commanding officer at Palatka says, so I hear, and we should credit such hearsay if we listen to that of the other nature – that the matter was investigated and found – proved - to be false. And even if it was so, it was under different circumstances. Mother and the boys will stay here and protect the property if possible. If they cannot do it, I suppose no man, that are in our power could. If  the place was deserted I have no doubt it would be destroyed. These reports we hear we cannot depend upon, whether in our favor or against us, but it is of course wise to consider them and make arrangements accordingly. The report you mention about St. Augustine I had no heard, and after their assurances to Gov Mosely at Palatka (which I heard from a man who was there at the time) that they would not interfere with private property, I cannot believe it is as bad as represented. That they (who are civilized human beings) would burn corn of those who are under arms against them, particularly as in doing so they must unavoidably burn the property of others in many instances. The coffee was Government property and they took the negro to conduct them to the place where it was secreted, I understand they promised to return the negro, but have not done so, which, apparently, is a breach of the assurance, yet there may be some  thing in connection with it that would modify their offence. The negro possibly might not have returned when sent &c. I will not however try to exculpate them from blame in this case, as it certainly was an interference to say the least of it. The stealing of the chickens is what we may expect from them. Do not infer from what I have written that I am fool enough to believe all they say, or risk any thing of consequence on it. In acting for you here, If I felt that I was exposing any thing of your unnecessarily I would of course (and I know you do not doubt it) do otherwise by some means. But under the circumstances, which you know are very trying, and “peculiar.” I think I am right. If it proves to be a wrong course I will have much to reproach myself for, and have considered this in my decision. You may be sure that in any event I shall not forget that I have a Mother and sister under my protection (the boys I have no fear for) and I shall make any sacrafice for their benefit. I shall keep out of their way as long as possible, but if it becomes necessary shall not hesitate to make my appearance from any selfish motives.

                And now Winston I want to make a suggestion which I know will be hard for you to act upon, but which I should not hesitate to do in your situation, and which has been done by others, and others will be compelled to do, in similar situations, is go out of the State. It is that you give up your commission, which you can do honorably soon, if not at once. John Pearson, of Bangs Springs, had his company mustered out and disbanded, and I understand they were in Confederate Service. That would, of course, be best, and I should think might be effected. You have every thing at stake here and nothing to gain by persisting in your pursuit service (I mean of course nothing compared with what you can do here) and I think it is generally admitted that a man’s first duty is to his family. I wish you could see those arms safely away from Smyrna and have your deserts for the public service, but I         fear about all has been done that can be done in that direction that is thought prudent. You will of course be ordered away when it may be too late to do good here. If a man lays down his arms he will of course have the same privileges with any who are not under arms.  Being on parole is very humiliating I know, but is it not the best alternative. The enemy, we hear, went up Dune Creek, in the Darlington and one Gun Boat, yesterday, so we have reason to expect them up the river soon, and we have to make our arrangement at once. It would be impossible to move any thing or any body but Tivie and Rosa, and how, as we have no conveiances.

                I am terribly disappointed that you have not been here as I depended on seeing you before deciding what I should do in all respects and would give anything if you were here now, but will do what I can, and pray it may be for the best. I send a letter which as I don’t know where to direct to him. Take care of yourself and I'll try to take care of all here.  Yrs ever

                                                                                                Davis