Letter, dated 3 Dec. 1864, from Jeffares to his wife in Georgia. This is a photocopy.



Transcription of letter:

Fields Hospital Dec. The 3rd 1864

Mrs. B.R.H. Jeffares

My Dear loving wife with the greatest of pleasure I seat myself this morning to pencil you a few lines. Those lines leave me in terrible health hoping those lines may find you & Wiley & the connection in the best of health Sade I have no news to write you but the time has roled around for me to writ to you & I try to write to you every week though I have but very little hopes of it getting to your loving hands but we might keep trying to get letters through for it is all the pleasure that I have on this earth if what few lines I receive from you & my Dear friends & that but few I receive a letter from you & Almeda dated the 13th of last month I have written you 2 or 3 letters since that, Sade am here at this place as a nurs I left my co last Saturday & went to a place called Mount Jackson some 75 miles below here & stayed there untill wensday & all the wounded was moved up here to this place & I came on as a nurs I am assign to duty here untill my regular Detailed papers come, then I may be sent some where else & I may stay here I cant tell what they will do with me I dont know one day where I will be the next I came by my co, wednsday as I came up here they was all in good health they are in camp 5 miles below here I havent heard from in some time he was nearly well when I heard from him but was bearfoted Sade I believe if new the mangger of any Hospital in Georgia & could write to them & get them to send a requisition here for me I could get a transfer to Georgia if know where Dr. Richardson is & if he is at a hospital I want you to write to him & tell him that I am Detailed as a nurs & I want him to make a requisition for me as this climate don't suit me & if you do try to get him to make the requisition tell him to send it to Dr. Black or to me in care of Dr. Black Field Hospital the Army of Northern Va if Richardson is in charge of Hospital & you know where he is I want you to write to me how to Direct letter to him & I will write to him also about it, [turn over]

Sade J.P. Lawhorn got to the co last Sunday he can tell more about the country & the yankeys than I have ever heard from thare yet but he dont bring any good news Sade you cant imaggin how bad it makes me want to come hom & how bad I want to see you all when I hear what a condition you are all left in, in that country it seems to me that it is more than I can bear to stay away from you & that Dear & Sweet child oh if I could just see you with the natural eye as plain as I imagined I saw you in my sleep last night I thought I had you embraced in my arms but it turned out to be only a Dream when I awoke up I was crying Sade you must do the best you can we must live in hopes of seeing each other again I will close I remain your loving husband until Death /s/ B.R. Jeffares to B.R.H. Jeffares

To G.A. Cochran

Dear sister I will write you a few lines Those lines leave me well hoping they may fine you & the connection in good health Almeda I havent any news to write you I received a few lines from you and Sade wrote the 13th ult I was glad to receive it I want you to write ofen Y write long letters & tell Sarah Ann & Emaliser & Emaline & Mary & Pope to write to me when I write to one it is to all meede I dont want you & the Lieut S ly to make that old scrape up too soon I want you to wait a while I the time will come when I will get hom & I would like to be a witness in that scrape me when you write write wheather the yanks carried off Nathan & lucy or not & write what papa talks of doing wheather he aims to stay at home or not I will close give my love to all the connections and keep a good portion to your self I remain your brother untill Death B.R. Jeffares

To G.A. Cochran