This is a letter from William Daniel Ross to his children on Feb, 23. 1862. William Daniel died in Aug. 1862. He was with the Irwin County Cowboys.

Beaula, Ga., Feb. 23, 1862

Dear sons and daughters,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am in good health at this time and hope at the sme time that this may come to hand find all well and doing well. Isuppose you have heard that we have left Jekyl Island. We are now encamped 12 miles southeast from Savannah on an arm of the Ocean called make White Bluff River at the very spot where the British landed in the War of 1812 and took Savannah. We are putting up a battery in the same ground where the battery was then. There was a battle fought here. If the Yankees ever land about Savannah this and othere places must be well fortified.

I suppose and if I can judge from heair to Savannah would be a rough road for 25,000 Yankees to travel. I get the notion from the way that the men is stationed from heair to Savannah that if we are whipped heair that we will fall back on the next encampment and so on until within 2 1/2 miles of the town where there is the longest battery. I saw all the timber cut down for three quarters of a mile in the direction that the Yanks will have to come from and by the time they can land and whip us out down in heair there can be 30,000 Rebels ready to rebute them at the long break work wheir I think our folks intend to end the fight. We are very uneasy...the Yankees coming and I can't see any fear in any of the Battalion.

We all get along finely. Our Battalion has the name of the Jekyk Boys and the Battery Builders. We all are very well satisified here but not as well as we was on Jekyl Island but I think will soon be. We have plenty of hard work here as soldiers always does. The health of the Cowboy is very good now. We left our sick at Wainesville (?) miles from Brunswick as we came on and have not heard from them since. You must write as soon as you get this and direct your letter to Savannah, cair of Camp J. Y. McDuffie, 7th. Battalion, Ga. Volunteer.

Tell Aaron that all his boys is well and give my best respects to all the neighbors. Remember to trust in God and read your Bible, keeping in good company and do unto others as you would they would do unto you.

So nothing more at present but remaines your affectionate father.
William D. Ross

P.S. You must be sure to write to me whether you have got your paper or not and write the date of the first one and you must be sure to pay the postage on it one a quarter.WDR