A letter from John Ball Sr. in Charleston, South Carolina to his son John Ball Jr. at Harvard College in Massachusetts discussing their fears of John being in Boston when there is a "prevailing disease," the safe arrival of his baggage and "liquor case," a bond of 200 silver, a request for John Ball Jr. to create an account of his expenses, certificates from Mr. Osborne and Doctor's Buist and Purcell, John Ball Sr. suffering from a fever, the poor health of Archer Lord and the death of Archer's sister Maria, and a spread of fever but no symptoms mirroring yellow fever such as black vomit.