Handwritten letter (continuation page)

A handwritten letter page in brown ink. The hand is small and cramped but more legible than adjacent pages. An interlinear insertion (“Mitchell”) is written above the line near “Margaret’s little”. Heavy staining in the lower left (ink/water bleed-through). A three-line cross-written postscript runs down the right margin in the same hand, perpendicular to the body — only the first line is substantially legible.

send your letters to them & you let them write to you & to save you additional duty—unless quite at leisure otherwise on Sunday [uncertain — possibly “Mussay”]. Your Aunty & John (by Mr —) Moved to Mulbury on Thursday — the home was too cold. Is dry & yesterday have been quite warm but tis cloudy & I fear will turn colder after a little rain. We have not had any thing of Henry by a Train last night or to day. I hope by then they were busy in Moving. Marian B. is as helpless as an infant & seems sinking out of life from her spinal disease. Frank Campbell arrived at Argyle on the 24th & Ellen is to be married on Wednesday 5th. I dont know their plans. Mr King continues to decline — but [illegible] rapidly, than a Month ago. Margarets little Mitchell was better — had a relapse but better again since that. I will enclose the check in this letter. Tom Ferguson’s Battery is at Sullivans Island. Mr Walker & his company has been sent to some other engineering & Kit [illegible] Master & them. Mr Ed White has been sent in his place but tis doubtful if he remains as he is engaged now in work at some other place. I wish these Yankees would get alarmed by Europe & go to their own country, & let us try & get our homes to be home[s]. May Crofts is sick & troubled — Stills a cough & constant pain from a tooth, which unnerves him. It affects the middle of his face [her interlinear, uncertain]. They have taken an unfurnished house in Winnsboro’ — Boarding being too expensive. Mr Crofts nor May wish to go away — but the threat of the Fleet makes Mr C think of going away. May is woken up & he

[The references to Tom Ferguson’s Battery on Sullivan’s Island, Mr Walker’s engineering company, the Crofts family removing to Winnsboro, and the hope that “Europe” might frighten the Yankees home all situate this page in the wartime Lowcountry diaspora of 1864 — Charleston families dispersed inland to Walhalla, Winnsboro, and the Carolina upcountry to escape the Union naval blockade and bombardment of the coast.]

[Cross-written postscript running down the right margin, in the same hand, perpendicular to the body. Three lines; read with the page rotated 90° counter-clockwise. Only line 1 is substantially legible; lines 2 and 3 remain largely unrecoverable because of the density of the overlap with the body text.]

Line 1:   Love to all [Lizzie?] [aff’ly?] L. B. — [keep?] the Boys & school[s]

Line 2:   [largely illegible]

Line 3:   [largely illegible — fragments of “M…”, “the”, “your”]