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When John Stephen Wright ran the Union blockade to obtain materials such as fish in Florida and the Caribbean for the Confederacy, he often wrote to his family in Augusta, Richmond Co, GA. Here is an example.
Quincy Fla, 4th May 1864
My Dearly Beloved Sallie,
I feel very thankful for your very excellent letter, and if you could appreciate fully the gratification your letters would afford me, I am sure you would not only devote some odd moments, when you have "nothing else to do," to writing me, but you would sacrifice some of your precious moments to do so. Please remember that I am far from home--in a land of strangers, as it were--that I have none here to care for or comfort me, and that, therefore, a word from those who have all my heart is like the welcome rain on the thirsty land. Repeat often then your letters, my dearly loved Sallie, and you shall receive, no you will deserve, your father's gratitude.
My situation here, as you have already seen from my letters to your mother, is quite comfortable as far as good quarters are concerned. In fact, I could not be in a much more pleasant boarding place. The lady is as kind as any one could be and she has three daughters, or rather step-daughters, equally as kind. All cater to make me comfortable. The girls are industrious, hard working , make nearly every thing they wear at home. It would delight you to see their neat homespun dresses, nice aprons and clean white stockings all made at home. It is positively charming, and I often wish that my daughters had the same facilities for making these things. They are now making me a pair of pantaloons--cotton homespun--which they will present to me tomorrow.
I promised some vaccine matter and vaccinated with my own hand the family & nearly every negro in the plantation (there are a good many). It took well on nearly every one, and they consider that they cannot be too grateful to me. Learn from this, Sallie, that little acts of kindness to others are never thrown away. Now should I leave tomorrow, for good & all, these good people would never forget me.
Since I wrote [?] received your letter, I have been down the country near Jacksonville, to see the general commanding this department. I had a very pleasant interview with him. He will give me what few ... I need at present, and my preparations for fishing will now go on, I hope, with energy & vigor. By the time the full fishing season commences we shall be ready. I have the very man to superintend the fishing that I wanted, and without an accident, I shall get an abundance of fish for the army next fall.
In one of your mother's letters , she speaks of Billy Carmichael's good fortune in getting a situation in Richmond. Although I congratulate him sincerely, yet I would not exchange with him, by "a long shot," without sharing your mother's wishes I had been as lucky as he. I am content with my situation in the Confederate Service--perfectly so. And besides, I think I can do more good here than any where else.
I congratulate you on having such worthy correspondents as Genl. Gregg & Mr. Sykes, and I hope your letters to them will be of such an interesting and pleasing character as will cause them to extend the good opinion they seem to have formed of you. I was gratified that you enclosed your letter to Mr. Sykes, in the same envelope with that to Genl. Gregg. The act was like that of a prudent, discreet girl, and I am proud of you for it.
How does a certain gentleman get on in his efforts at storming the citadel of Miss Hal's heart? Does he mean to keep up his artillery fire at long range, or has he yet carried the outposts so as to render further resistance useless and thus compel a surrender to his victorious "arms"? Perhaps, however, he is aiming to penetrate the very heart of the fortress, and thus render victory certain. A certain god is represented by the ancient heathen as blind. I don't wonder at it.
I wrote your mother that I had sold Doctor [his horse], so now I am footback. It is probable I will go up to Georgia in a week or so. If so, I will run up home for a short time--but only a short time--and I want you all to look out for a horse for me, so that I can get him without much delay. I am compelled [to] have a horse. Ask Uncle Joe [Eve] to help you. I want one that can WALK well & that has a good lope.
Love to all & kiss mother, grandmother, Hal, Perry and Lou for me, also Aunts Anna & Emma [Eve]. Howdy to the servants.
Your loving Father, J. S. W.
John S. Wright
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Note: Aunt Emma Eve, an old maid, was famous for two things:
She learned to incorporate bird feathers into her embroidery, after examining Maya feather cloaks which family members brought back from voyages to British Hondouras, on the Yucatan peninsula.
She also delivered the opinion, when provoked, that boys should be kept in a barrel and fed through a bnghole until they were eighteen.
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