Jan 8, 1862. In the afternoon Henry & George went to Tina’s to stay over night. Rain.

[Rebecca] Jan 8, 1862. Mild & cloudy. Rosa has had some fever today – Henry & Geo. went to Mr C. Stephens to pass the afternoon and night.

Jan 9, 1862. The boys came home. In the afternoon Lewis with them.

[Rebecca] Jan 9, 1862. Quite warm. Tivie and I alone until sunset when the boys returned with L. Stephens. Rosa quite lively tho’ pale.

Jan 5, 1862.  Rain.  In the afternoon had the negroes all up in the house and Mother read a chapter in the Bible & had some singing.

[Rebecca] Jan 5^th 1862. A heavy rain about noon. Reading all day. Held a short service with the negroes in P.M.

Jan 6^th 1862. Received two letters from Winston & one from Loulie in Jacksonville.

[Rebecca] Jan 6^th 1862. A lovely morning! Receive a letter from Willie and one from Sister Julia – Tivie recd. one from Winston. All Well. Henry sets out more peach trees.

Jan 7^th 1862. Father’s 50^th birthday. Wrote to Winston & Loulie. Henry & G- went to town in the afternoon.

[Rebecca] Jan 7, 1862.  My dear husband's birth‑day ‑ Oh that I could spend it with him!  He has lived half a century, and I cannot expect he will be spared many years longer.  May we both live so that we may be permitted to meet in Heaven!  To‑day I have written to Julia and to Davis ‑ Tivie to her husband.

[Octavia Stephens to Winston Stephens]        

                                                                                                January 7, 1862

My dear Husband

                I was doubly glad to receive two such nice long letters from you this week. I suppose Gen Hopkins brought one as I heard last night that he had come and brought me a letter. I also heard that Mrs H- & Bella are going to Pilatka on Thursday in Mr Gardner’s boat on their way to Jacksonville.

                I hope your cold is well by this time, and that you may not have any of the various unpleasant diseases you speak of especially the itch, you had better wear a big piece of asafoetida around your neck as you used to in old times, or something, you will surely fall a victim to some of them.  I have never heard you say that you had had the mumps so think you have not.  I think you have exercise enough to keep you well if that will.  I suppose Sunday is the same as any other day, or do you have more time?

                Henry & George transplanted two rows and a half of peach trees last week, and we had a nice rain on them Saturday night and Sunday.  I will not put out the plum trees until next week as we have so many peach trees to attend to some of those in the back yard were dying but perhaps we can save them.  Burrel burned off the new ground a week ago after rolling my logs, he is now hauling rails himself & put Tom to cutting logs with the others until he gets some rails hauled then they are to "follow behind him with the fence." they have not finished the cotton stalks, the new ground is too green that I told them to cut logs awhile and see if they would not die, & Burrel had thought of the thing,   he says he thinks he will be ready to start ploughs in three weeks.

                You were mistaken about the rations, you wrote me once about corn and potatoes and left me the rations of beef & fish but never told me of pork.

                I have just put Rosa to sleep, she tries to say a great many things now, she says "de papa don" for dear Pa Pa gone and often says it by herself while playing, she said it little while ago.  then we heard her say "peas ma'am" she says "tart" for Clark & "Teet" for Tina.  I cant write how she says Uncle & Aunt.  Tina spent last Friday with us, she still looks & is very well, she can not make up her mind whether to go to Jacksonville or not, we have tried to persuade her to go, & Clark has now said go.

                The black hog got out Christmas week and was gone some days but Burrel at last found him & he is improving in flesh.  last week two of the sows went off & left seven pigs here with the white sow & she would not nurse them so we fed them, Henry hunted one or two days every where around & could not find the sows, but they at last came home & have been about ever since.  my pig went & came with them, he looks better too.

                I hope the negroes will not try what you wrote about, perhaps they know that their intention is known & they will not try it at least for some time.  Last Sunday Mother had them (our negroes Sandy & Jacob too came) all up here & read a chapter in the Bible &c and intends continuing it. they have not given the least trouble so far, and Burrel seems bent upon his duty. Please write to Mrs Bradley or Dr Heard again, for I dont want to & we ought to know what is to be done. tell her to direct to Welaka.

                Sarah is up here again after fevers since Thursday.  Joe & Jess had a fever but Castor oil put a stop to that, all are well now.

                Mother sends lots of love & says we are looking anxiously for your next furlough.  oh Taylor's howling reminds me a tree fell on him on a hunt the other night & nearly finished him but he is recovering.  two weeks ago Clara ran into a light wood stick or something & made a terrific gash under her fore leg but she is getting well as I told Burrel of it & he put tar & grease on it immediately.                         

                                                                                                Your loving Wife.

[Rebecca Bryant to Willie and Davis Bryant]

                                                                                                Jan 7, 1862

My dear, dear boys,

                I have been writing a long letter to Aunt Julia and as I have not time to address you separately I must write “a conjunctive letter,” as a friend of ours would say.

                I was too glad to get Willie’s yesterday morng. and find he had a pleasant visit to the Reeds, had seen Loulie &c &c – To be sure the letter was rather old, being dated Jan 3^rd 1861 but it was acceptable nevertheless.          

                Speaking of dates, this is your father's birthday - I know he will think of us and feel sad at the prospect before him - It seems hard that the few years he has now to spend on earth should be past so far from all those he loves, after a life of such untiring effort and perseverance.  But I know we both must need this discipline or it would not be allotted us, and we must endeavor to profit by it.  I hope the present year may terminate more happily than it has begun with our dear children.

                Tivie is writing Loulie and wishes to envelope it with this – I wish L- could manage to come up before she goes to housekeeping and before sandflies come – how I dread those pests!

                Your visit to us will afford theme for grateful remembrance a long time, and I hope Davis meant what he said, that it shd. not be so long before he saw us again.  Willie writes that furloughs have commenced again and Winston thinks he shall be home by 1st. Feby. so we have something in prospect to cheer us on.  I wish I had written a long letter to yr Father when Willie was here to have it ready for first opportunity, but it is too late to regret – Dont forget to let me know next Saturday if Capt Canova succeeded in getting off.

                Davis please write all you know of affairs with England and all war news, because the papers we get are always old – Write as hurriedly as you please, in short hand, I will not criticize. Dont say you cant write as easily to me as to Willie.

                Henry & George are going to take our letters to town and are in a fit to be off, so as to go to the office and get home before dark – and I am scratching in double quick time. Hope next week we will not have to mail our letters Tuesday afternoon. We hear Mrs Hopkins & Miss Bella are going to Jacksonville, leaving here on Thursday next in Gardner’s boat – if so, I shall send the picture of Davis which Aunt J- wrote for – to be sent to Grandmother by Munroe.

                Tivie and boys send love and I send much more to both my dear boys-

                                                                                                Mother

Jan 4^th 1862. In the morning the boys & I set out some peach trees. In the afternoon Mother & I took a ride, came by Tina’s & stopped a little while.

[Rebecca] Jan 4^th 1862. A drizzling rain Tivie planted peach trees in the morng. After dinner Tivie, Rosa & I took a ride in the buggy.

 [Winston Stephens to Octavia Stephens]

                                                                                                Fernandina Jan 4, 1862

My Dear Wife

                I received your long & very interesting letter this morning & was glad to hear you & all the family were well.  I have an opportunity of sending this by Steamer St Marys & you can get it with the one sent by the Cars yesterday.  We had news by Telegraph that a fight commenced near Charleston on Yesterday & the Yankees were driven back, but had gotten reinforcements & had commenced the fight over.  We are looking constantly for news but as yet nothing has arrived ‑ Also we have news of the fight at Pensacola & hear we losed one man by the bursting of one of our own shell ‑ but dont know the damage done on their side.

                When I wrote you my first lesson, which it appears you have not received, I mentioned that Capt Mosely's negroes had threated to set themselves free on the 20th of this month if Lincoln did not do it for them.  I asked you to name it to Clark that he might have patrole & prepare against such an event.  Tell Henry to keep the guns in order & keep them out of the way of the negroes & ready to use in the event they should try to do such a thing ‑ dont talk of it where they can possibley get hold of it ‑ I do not think my negroes would Join in such a thing but Gardners might.

                I rec'd a letter from Willie with yours giving a description of some part of his visit &c.  I wish I could have been there as his time perhaps would have been spent more to his satisfaction, partly in the woods and ducking.  I cant tell how long we will be here but Capt H thinks we will return to our horses in the first of February ‑ if so I will see you then if not before ‑ If it was not for the boys that came in on my account & the horses I am responsable for I would resign My Commission & come home ‑ but my Dear I was the cause of several men coming in the service & it would not be treating them right to leave them, by remaining I am not afraid of losing any thing in the horse business.  I have purchased a barrel of syrup & it will be landed at the wharf by the first barge down the river.  My wife I have & do appreciate your worth & have ever done so & you may rest assured this will have me the same as ever & hope we may ever be to each other as we have been.  You say you cant see how I am to come out of debt this year.  This I can say, If I am spared my life & my family I shal feel thankful & be satisfied.  If I am left any poorer than now I hope my Wife will not love me the less & with health & your love I can support you & my dear Rosa any where ‑ This difficulty if it lasts will be the means of the sacrifice of much property & I may be one of the sufferers, if so we must learn to bear it.  I can bear any thing, but it will be hard to see you any worse off than you are ‑ We must hope & trust for the better times.  You cant say more of Rosa than I like to hear & you must give me in each of your letters the particulars of our home & those so dear to me!  You can bed the potatoes now but put them deep & the first of next month have some of the dirt taken off.  We had Dr Verdier to dine with us yesterday & a young Dr Andrews who was in the battle of Manassas.  Dr. V was in the Port Royal engagement & they gave us many interesting incidents of the two engagements – Mr Burges is here also -The Mr Haliday I spoke of in my last is the man that raised Tina.

                Keep the shirts ‑ love to all & many kisses to you & Rosa.  I wish so much I could give them.

                                                                                                Your ever affectionate husband

PS I wish old simmons had to dig in that branch for the next year then he would know what work is worth I cant tell yet what to do about the cotton but keep it locked up til you have other instructions from me. I will not gin it this spring unless I can sell it – Mr Greely returned from Palatka this morning or last night & sayed the horses were doing well and he brought a box full of good figs.

                                                                                                Your Cross old Man

PS 2^nd make burrel move the cypress sticks that were got out for the mill & left in the swamp & put them out of the weather. get Clarks advise about any thing you may not understand.

Jan 5, 1862.  Rain.  In the afternoon had the negroes all up in the house and Mother read a chapter in the Bible & had some singing.

[Rebecca] Jan 5^th 1862. A heavy rain about noon. Reading all day. Held a short service with the negroes in P.M.

Jan 3^rd 1862. Tina & Minnie spent the day with us. Rain at last.

[Rebecca] Jan 3^rd 1862. Mrs. Stephens spent the day with us, rain the eveg, - quite warm

[Winston Stephens to Octavia Stephens] 

                                                                                                Fernandina January 2nd 1862

My Dear Wife

                I received your short, but interesting letter by Cars in due time with a long PS by Davis, which made the letter all together a long one.  I was glad to hear that you all had been so agreeably surprised by Davis & Willies visit & glad to hear you had such a good time generally.  I am in fine health with the exception of a cold which is very common in camps, my cold is much better than it was yesterday.  Some few of the men have fever with their colds & some of the Regiment have pneumonia, Mumps, Measels & a variety of other Contagious diseases too tedious to mention ‑ one death occured in Capt Martins company last night, a man by the name of Morrison from near Ocala. ‑ We try to keep our men seperated as much as possible from other Companies to avoid the various diseases ‑ We have itch in camps but I shal hold myself aloof from the men as much as possible to avoid catching it if possible.  The general  health has improved in the last few days. Dr. Mathews told me just before dinner that he had less than half as many on his sick list than he had three days ago, & no serious cases - We have only two men on our sick list, Perdum & Glisson & they walk about Camps.  This has the appearance of a healthy place.  We have to drill about four hours every day which gives us exercise enough to keep us from getting lazy & the Company has very much improved since our arrival here. The cars did not arrive last night & the supposition is that some accident has befallen it & if so I fear our Capt has had his share as he was expected. A train went out this morning & we will not know the particulars until the return of that Train. 

                A small craft came in by the blockade on Sunday from Nassau loaded with salt & ask twelve dollars pr sack, but I think they will have to curtail the price before they sell.

                On Sunday I went down to the Fort & sand batteries below the Fort & I feel more convinced than ever the Yankees will have their hands full if our guns are used well. I saw Judge Brain & he looked worse than I ever saw him, I also found Mr Halliday there & they went around & showed me all the guns & the position of the channel &c all of which I found interesting & satisfactory, as I think they (I mean the Yankees) will have to land on the Island somewhere else & not at Fernandina, & if they should effect a landing on some other point we could whip them as we have several advantages from the position of the country, but I am at ease on that subject as I feel sure that they will not come here.

                If this letter is disconnected you must not blame me as it is impossible to write a letter in came without having interuptions every few minutes - I think I told you not to transplant the peach trees unless you had good seasons, but I want you to have it done at once & have them well watered about sunset every evening until you are sure they will live, also the Plum.  the three large trees by the old place you can let stay, but transplant all the rest, & if this dry weather continues until you receive this tell Burrel to examine the new ground & if the bushes are dead he had better set fire to it & burn it off & let Tom haul the rails before the woods are burnt, tell him to try & get a windy day as it will burn better & be careful & not let the fire burn him out when the woods gets afire. I enclose a ration table & if you will overlook my letters you will find this is the third time since I left, & I give it to you this time so you can keep it in your journal.

                It seems a long time to wait for a letter, from one Saturday to the next, but I suppose I should feel thankful to have one that often.  Does my Darling Rosa stil lisp her Pa name or can she talk plainer.  I would give any thing to see you both & have the pleasure of your society if only for a short time, but I cant tell you when that will be as Lt Peterman has the promise of the next furlough.  I think we will be removed before very long & perhaps to Smyrna, if so I will come home, I will perhaps be able to tell you more about the change in my next ‑ Kill the black hog as soon as he will do to kill as Gardners negroes will kill him if he gets out. Tell Clark I will try & write to him next mail. Give them love &c. We have to go to drill & I must close, I will add a PS to night. love to Mother & boys, & kiss Rosa & tell her to kiss Mother for PaPa – Good bye & bless you

                                                                                                Your loving husband

                                                                                                Winston Stephens

PS Capt H has arrived & no money but we will get in a few days by one of us going after it.

                                                                                                Yours ever

                                                                                                Winston

                This will give you some idea of our incampment.  The front row of tents are the officers the tents are all about 12 by 13 feet & the wall is about 3 feet & then tapers to the top ‑ which makes a very comfortable tent. Officers tents three to each company, these are the mens tents all opening on the streets & behind them they have their camp fires, each Tent holds four men. The Capt one wall tent, Myself & Lt Peterman one & Lt Gray & Mr Greely the clerk one ‑ and the Comisary tent is between the officers tents & the men ‑ & distance from the officers to the men 20 yards ‑ you must excuse me for not taking more pains in drawing the camp but remember I dont profess to be expert in such things & this will give you some idea of our situation.  We are on a high hill & nearly surrounded by branches from which we procure our water.

My Dear

                I got a letter from Mr Smith of Welaka asking if he could rent the house that Mr Gardner had last year & I have written to him & refered him to Mother ‑ I would say if she has not disposed of it that I think she had better let him have it as it is better occupied that not ‑ Gardner was to pay 9$ pr month ‑ I hope Willie got the money from G for Mr Tucker or at least the note ‑ it was 18 dollars.           

New Years Day, 1862. Willie left us just after breakfast to return to his camp at the Bar, I sent a letter to Winston and Cousin Julia.

[Rebecca] Jan 1, 1862.  at Rose Cottage, Willie left us this morng. at 8 o'clk having been with us 9 dys.  Our family now consists only of Tivie, Henry, Georgie, myself and Rosa ‑ The year has opened with bright sunshine, quite a contrast to our national affairs and domestic prospects.  Memory has been busy with the past all day and sad thoughts have intruded themselves in spite of all my efforts.

[Julia Fisher to her nephew Davis Bryant]

                                                                                                Thomasville Jany. 1^st 1862.

Dear Davis,

                My first letter in the new Year is to you, may it find you well, & as happy as we can hope to be these times!

                Mr. Edward Remington will bring you this. You will remember him as the near friend of Paris. and also an acquaintance of Willie’s and will be glad to meet him. I should have written more at length, but company all day, & many other cares prevented. Mimoe will tell you any thing you may care to know. I have Andrew & Alfred on hand yet, negroes hire low, & are very plenty this year. I hope to manage somehow, & meantime hope & work on. If I should fail in doing all I hope it will not be surprising, when men feel they can hardly get along. I hope you may find your situation profitable & permanent. I hope too Richard & Lou may get along comfortably & pleasantly. I will just put in a few lines to your Mother, which please send. All well here, love to Willie in abundance.

                                                                                                Yours with truest affection,

                                                                                                Aunt Julia.