.ODg3.MTQ1Nw
C. 23d Novr 62
My dear Cynthia. I wrote you directly on receiving
your letter from Gloster & have heard nothing from you
since - in a letter to Richd - you said nothing of having
even received my letter & I fear it has not reached you.
I will try now to send you a few lines but doubt
[them?] [ever?] reaching you. We have no mails & only by
accident that letters reached us that were mailed
[Nov 7th?] Yours came very direct. It is useless for me
to [repeat?] the deep & heartfelt sympathy you have
from every number of this family also our sorrow
& grief at our loss - dear dear Sadie how my heart
yearns with love to your memory - & grief that in the
last two years we have seen so little of her. I wanted
her to love us - & she had such little chance of knowing us
or our love for her. Yet God has ordained it & it must be
for her good, [?] we miss her, we know she is in
heaven = & I feel that we have too good an angel now
looking down upon us. She is safe & happy & how [?]
in her state. We must not & ought not to [?], but try
& bear in mind the separation is only for a short time
& then a blessed reunion = God in his mercy give us
[?] & patience to bear what is ordered for us & let us
all look forward that blessed hour prepared for the
righteous.
[2]
We are now in the hands of the Yankees - a number
being at [?] & other places = a camp at E [Taylors?]
& a large force about - so far we have not been
visited by them but expecting it every day or hour -
our boys obliged to leave in a hurry to avoid
being take - Nat is not yet fit for the service
but was not safe here - he may go to Richd - but
I do not know when - if the neck is vacated &
it safe for him to stay he will return - as his
leg is not well yet. He feels great weekness
in the limb = exposure this winter [?]
[?] him [?] for life. I am extremely
anxious to hear from George & his family &
Bob & myself have both written to them but
I can get no reply. I feel doubly anxious since
I heard of dear little Henry's sickness. If you
can please write to them & tell us all about
us. We are all well. Mary quite [sweet?] with
a son 3 weeks old. She breakfasted with us this
morng. The Doctr is in C_ & what he will now do
is very uncertain - perhaps [break?] up & go in
the hospital. I have been hoping to get a word
from William. I wrote & write & can hear
nothing. If he is still in Richmond will you
[3]
please let him know we are well & anxious
& uneasy at not hearing from him. Taylors
family is at home without a single help - the
two white girls they had being incumbrances
were discharged & Mary said a happy riddance.
I presume you are still in Richmond & hope you
will get this. I feel anxious for your own health
& hope you will try & let us hear from you -
perhaps there might be a chance through [?]
as he is sick in Richd & some of his family may
be passing to & from = [Sal?] was sent [sou?] on
business only the day before the Yankees came
-but has gotten back safe to his company
the other two will go over tonight I expect
to get out of danger. I shall feel more satis-
fied when I know they are over the [?]
Please present my very best regards & love
to [yr?] [brother?] & family = I truly feel for her
present separation from her family - poor
Ellen how I sorrow for her anxiety & care
& pray the war wd end & our families be
once more united. I would love so much
to see you dear Cynthia & yet hope we may
live to meet again on earth.
[4]
our best love & prayers are with you -
all here send love to you. Yr father
wrote to you in my last.
God bless you my dear daughter
& love me ever as yr [attached?]
Mother
Excuse my blunders I write in
haste & confusion.
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