Letter from James B. Heyward at Combahee to his wife Maria Heyward. James was unable to travel to Savannah as planned due to skirmishes at "Coosahatchie." He mentions the death of an "Edward" at the "Church Creek encampment" and bemoans his inability to get news on local troop movements and battles writing "Sunday night the enemy made a raid on the other side of Combahee and I never heard of it until Tuesday. I fear sometimes they may capture me in bed." 6p.
Christmas day letter from James B. Heyward back at Combahee to Maria Heyward in Columbia. In his letter, James is reflecting on the dire situation and the bleakness of their future believing soon "it will all be over and we shall be reduced to a poverty irretrievable." He struggles with what to do with his slaves given the eventual "scarcity of food" and "depreciated currency." He intends to leave the majority at his plantation but expects to bring up to Columbia "John's wife so as to take from him that temptation to running off." He writes that he will also bring "Mary if she will leave her daughter Molly...I don't value Mary so much as to saddle myself with the support of Molly." 10p.
