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Charles L Powell Powhatan County Virginia to daughter either Hattie Rebecca or Nina Powell np 26 April 1863

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Powhatan Co

Apl 26/63

Darling daughter

My present house is a very plea

sant & desirable one, in all the comforts

which easy circumstances, & good hu-

moured hospitality can supply. I would

however willingly exchange it for a much humb

ler one which would give me the society of

wife & daughter. The thing which most interferes

with m comfort is what you would not com

plain of - the crowd of young people attracted

here by the generous hospitality of the [?] &

the society of a son & daughter just turned out.

Miss [Ginnie?] is quite [?] to be a [belle?] with her

[?], kind, good humored, with a merry

laugh, dimples, fresh complexion, & bright black

eyes, good sense & considerable humor. She

has not much taste or [...............?..............]

[?] but sings & plays very well. I heard her

say to one of her beaux, she did not know what

was best to drive away [horseflies?], she never had

had any. Bernard has spirits less elastic but [...................................?......................................................]

[...................................?...........................................]. No doubt

there is a spectacle here as in every household [?]

not yet [?] [?]. Bernard (the son is abt 20.) Kind

considerate & amiable, practices no excess, except

perhaps in the use of tobacco, of good practical

sense, has no taste for reading, & is very fond of

music. He is good looking enough, is like his sister

not quite as eager in pursuit of pleasures. In his

countenance & complexion there are [?]

of greater delicacy of [?]. He was

one of the earliest volunteers when the war broke

out. Was taken with the measles, which fell upon his

beings & has had repeated & severe hemorrhages [?]

[?]. He is discharged from the army & is engaged in

farming. When I came from school on Monday, the

[Page 2]

presence of sabers & holsters in the [?] indica

ted an arrival of a squad of soldiers because [?]

there were in the pasture these young lads, & three

young gentlemen who had been spending the day

they all staid all night. The next day on my return

the 3 [?] had left. The gentlemen all stayed through

the succeeding night until the afternoon of the

next day. I found the coast clear Wednesday night.

On Thursday there came another beau said to be a

lover. STaid util next day, when he was succeeded

by four others one of them a [?] man who

left this morning for the army. Three are here

[?] [?] [?] [?] the last a merry little

fellow said to be very much in love with the Miss

[G?]. I don't know whether he has ever told his love.

Certainly he is not pining away with a melancholy

shady green & yellow** or of any other color. He is

very [?] & has a great deal of [?]. Certain

ly I should not grudge the poor young fellow, [?]

[?] [?] - how do I. They are very polite to

me & although as I occupy a bed in the boys spare

room my privacy is somewhat invaded by having

those three [?] with myself, but [?] [?]

& poor fellows their four nights are justified

and on Monday they are [?] going off. We

had another to join the happy [?] [?] [?]

I am afraid there is no chance the little girl is fixed

in a school under charge of a young lady from Richmond

who boards at [?] Michaux but alas a school

of 11 puples in the woods half way between my school

house [?] [?]. Have you heard that Frank Lloyd

[?] on a visit to their mothers in [?]

were taken prisoner & came to Washington.

In a letter from Mrs. A. H. [Powell?] she says [Millroy?] is

treating the people of Winchester more [horribly?]. He had [?]

Mrs [Logan’s?] family out of time taking possession of the house

& every thing in it allowing Mrs. L to take nothing but a few

clothes which he had put into her trunk. This was done

on compliant of a negro [?] whom one of her sons

had [?] on this [?]. That it was supposed several other

families would be sent off. Your cousin [?] was in

Richmond a few days ago. She thinks Mobile can be as

well defended as Charleston. I trust Mr. Walkers

grandson will be preserved to her.

Your devoted father

Charles Powell

• • This appears to be a reference to Shakespeare's a Twelfth Night where Viola says, "And with a green and yellow melancholy. She sat like patience on a monument, Smiling at grief."