[Augustina Stephens to Winston Stephens]

Dear Winston,

                Clarke has been very anxious to hear from you as when Mr Shook & Mizzell came up they told it in town (to Mrs. Howard) that he has to return as his discharge was no accepted, I have never put any confidence in it for I think, had it been so you would either have written to him, or mentioned something in Tivie’s letters about him, let him know something definite about it as soon as you can. Clarke says Mr Bright has raised the price of Beef to Eighteen dollars a piece, & wants to know if you are willing to give that. All of us are well, Charlie is as fat as a little pig & as good as ever & I am spending the day with Tivie to day. I hope you will soon be able to come home. Clarke writes with me in love to yourself & Swep, tell the latter to write to us sometimes.

                                                                                                Aff Yours

                                                                                                                Tina

August 9, 1862. In the afternoon Henry & Willie fished at the 2 mile pond brought 52 fish & a squirrel.

[Rebecca] Aug 9, 1862.  A warm morng - I am depressed with the constant fears for Willie which crowd upon me in spite of all my efforts – Wright a long letter to him and begin one to Davis – Geo also writes to him.

[Winston Stephens to Davis Bryant]

                                                                                                Camp Stephens August 9^th  1862

Dear Davis

                Yours was received in due time and contents noticed & in reply will say as to taxes nothing has been done in our County & you may rest easy on that score.  I was glad to hear from you & wish we had you with us.  I want you to talk to, but cant write as often as I have so much Company writing it has given me more distaste for the pen.  I am going home in a short time & wish so much I could have you go with me.  I had a letter a few days ago & all were well.  I am looking for a letter to night & if I get it will keep this & send you the news.  We are soon to be thrown into a regiment and I am going to oppose the appointing of Officers & hope your Capt will claim the privilidges of a Volunteer.  I rec'd a letter yesterday from Capt Row asking the signature of me & my officers to a recommendation to Genl Finegan for him as Lt Col., but I think that will kill his chance.  We propose to run Chambers for Col.  My Company want to run me for Lt Col. but I positively had rather not as I feel incompetent to do justice to the office.  I hope the Companies will unite on some men & against the appointing plan.  Genl Finegan told me he would reccommend & the Sec of War would appoint, If so I will not serve or obey a single order issued as I know we have the right to elect.  I have become acquainted with many Gentlemen in this place & like some very much, but I have not had time to visit even my friend Mrs Maxey ‑ Capt Dunham assumes the command of the Post in my place & I feel relieved of a responsability that I am glad to be rid of.

P.S. Aug 10

                Dear Davis, Mizell & Shook have just returned & with them a long letter from Tivie.  Henry was not well but the rest of the family were well.  They complain of not hearing from you often but say they get letters from Willie occasionally.  I sent one of yours by Mr Smith which they had just received.  I start home on Wednesday & have 15 days which will give me 11 days at home.  A plenty of every thing is made on our side but meat & now the people have increased the price of Beef I fear some folks will have to do without.  I left three Brls of syrup for my folks & they have had two beevs & suppose they are not starving.  I must tell you of the increase in my family.  Sarah has a fine Girl.  Pet, my Mare has a very fine colt & Clara has nine pups.  dont you pitie me to have them to feed these hard times or do you think they will pay?  I am satisfied.  with my best wishes I remain yours

                                                                                                as ever Winston Stephens

[Rebecca Bryant to Davis Bryant] 

                                                                                                Rose Cottage Aug 9, 1862

My dear Davis,

                I was made happy indeed by the reciept of a letter from you last Thursday night after I had retired. Mr Smith who accompanied Mrs L- & Carrie to Jacksonville, arrived that eveg. and it happened fortunately that some of the negroes went over to town and brought the mail to us, several days in advance. Yrs came through Winston however. Mr S- staid at his camp some days. I recd. by this oppy. the Ambrotype of Willie, which we all think excellent, it will be a great treasure  in his absence – A letter from him also, closed on the 25^th July at Montogomery gave me the painful information of his being ordered to Chattanooga – or rather that he was on his way there, but whether the Regt, was to be stationed there he could not inform me. He wrote you at the same time and I suppose gave you an account of his most intolerably tedious and uncomfortable trip from Mobile to Montgomery – on board a stmr. With over 900 men, in dreadfully hot weather, with nothing to drink but the warm river water, and no place to sleep for 4 nights! They must have suffered intensely – and yet he tries to make the best of it – says he always manages to take care of himself &c – and relates every thing worthy of notice during the trip – I hope that good lady that gave them a glass of cool cider and allowed them to gather apples from her orchard will never want for a friend in the hour of need. I am as you may suppose full of conjecture and anxiety as the end to be achieved by this movement - I know from what I see in the papers that it is expected there will be hard fighting in Tennessee and Kentucky and I know too that troops wd. not be transported to such a distance without an important object in view. Willie says he is elated by the change ‑ he had resolved to go to head‑quarters to sue for one that morng.  I had been hoping he might get his 60 days furlough and come home before his birthday to pass a few weeks ‑ though he has never mentioned a furlough ‑  My hopes of foreign intervention, recognition and peace are all indefinitely postponed ‑ and I am sad indeed at the prospect.  At times it appears to me impossible that I can endure such suspense and anxiety many more months.

                Sunday morng. I have just closed a long letter to Willie commenced two days ago – I shall address it to Chattanooga care of Col Dilworth, hoping that if the Regt goes elsewhere the letter will be forwarded. I wrote you a fortnight since and wrote to Willie on the same day – Since then I have recd. 90 cts worth post stamps from Mr Gilchrist, by your request – Also a letter from “Cousin Julia” – She writes that Wm. Sharpe, Franky’s husband, had been ordered to Virginia and she had accompanied him – She has been very useful in nursing the sick and several of the soldiers thought she was the means of saving their lives. The Regt. that Paris is in is also ordered to Virginia. Ed. Everitt is a home very sick or rather was at Thomasville when J- wrote he was much better and went there for a visit and was then suffering from a relapse – Aunt Caroline had gone there. – I hear that Henry Hickman is reported to have been killed in one of the battles near Richmond – I feel very sorry for his friends, he was a promising young man – May God give us all strength to bear what is in store for us and help us to profit by his chastisements. Col. Fleming died suddenly at Hibernia last Sunday morng. – by some it is tho’t that he died by congestive chill, others say heart-disease. Tivie has had two letters from Winston this week. He expected Gen Finnegan to be in Jacklle. Last week and hoped to be able to come home in the course of this week – we look for him about Wednesday. I hope he was able to answer your enquires about taxes satisfactorily. Do not send me any money at present – I have more than enough to buy a pair of shoes for Henry, which I shall get made soon by a man in the country – and there is no other want that money can supply here now. I intend to write to Miss Beckie soon, now that I know they are still there – how very lonely and sad they must be! Willie says he has written her every week and his letters have usually gone thro’ straight. Winston writes as if he thought it was intended to prevent the gun-boats coming to J-e – I fear if it is attempted the property of those living there will suffer by it. I think when Winston returns to J-e after his visit, I shall write to Mrs Burritt requesting her to ask her husband if he knows anything of your father’s movements – he may allow her to write me what he wd. not speak of publicly. Winston writes that Capt Harrison’s Co. has captured “three live Yankees”! Frank Sams came up with Mr Smith and brought an order from Mr Halleyman for the “Elmira” – with the mast, sail and oars. I wrote a note in reply saying that the mast, sail, center-board & rudder were never bro’t here, that they were not with the boat when you took her from the wharf in J-e – F. Sams says he has bought her I understand.

                As regards our health, I think you need not fear ‑ I was a little unwell two days about a fortnight since, but was surprised to find how quickly I recuperated.  The cows we had were taken from us about five weeks since, and we missed the milk at first very much, but do't think of it now ‑ I miss the melons very much, they have always had them here thro' August, but this has been an unfavorable season for fruit ‑ not a peach came to maturity.  I am glad you sometimes get vegetables ‑ we have none, do very well without.

                Burrel thinks that the corn crop is turning out much better than Winston anticipated and I hope it may.

                Henry is growing tall and his voice is changing ‑ He looks thin in the face, but is quite active generally ‑ He killed a squirrel by moonlight last eveg. could'nt see it distinctly, had to guess at his aim and I thought it a pretty smart thing for him.  George is stronger than when you were here – He has just finished a letter which I am to enclose - If I get a letter from you tomorrow will write next Sunday, so that I shall not always feel obliged to write you & Willie on the same day – I scarcely look for one however – I am glad you correspond with Chauncey as he is in the way of knowing all that goes on – I hope he writes to Willie -

                I wish you might be able to see Winston before he comes up ‑ it wd. be next to seeing you myself.  When I lie awake in the night, I often imagine you walking the rounds as sentinel, alone with your thoughts, and wish I could share them ‑ Are you becoming more accustomed to the hardships of a soldier's life?  It makes my heart ache to think of what Willie has had and may have to endure ‑ my only trust is in an Almighty Protector. We read and hear so much of sickness in camp, I am induced to send a recipe I cut out of a paper two years ago – it is worth trying – and if you think best send it to Willie – If you can get [Benne?] leaves, put them in cold water and drink the water after standing an hour or two, it is good in all similar cases. Are you weary of my long scrawl?

                                                                                                Goodbye, With an ocean of love ‑

                                                                                                Mother

Tivie sends much love and hopes we shall have another visit from you soon.

August 10, 1862. Wrote to Julia. No rain.

[Rebecca] August 10, 1862. A warm day – I sent off letters to Willie and Davis soon after dinner and read Reg. Magazine until sunset.