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Blenheim March, 31, 1865

Dear Nina,

I have written to you once

by way of Belmead. I have been hoping

every day to get another letter from

you in the same way, but none has

come (I got your letter and the one containing

letters) so I will write again. I did in-

tend writing you a long letter and taking

it to church on Sunday and getting the

Miss Cockes to take it from there. [The?]

[mail?] is so slow now, but the [?]

ing agent has come this evening and

the Dr. will have to go to the C. H. tomor-

row, and so can't go to church on Sunday.

So now I have to write in a hurry to

send the letter and a carpet bag down to

Miss Maria Harris by the Dr. tomorrow,

hoping to get it to church. [In?] [living?]

in that way, I send a carpet bag con-

[Page 2]

taining what few things I have been

able to spare for Father and Mother. Two

pair of socks for Father and a hank of yarn,

a flannel skirt, chemise, and pair of

drawers for Mother. The drawers are thin

and old, but I thought she must have had

one pair on [?] [?] but plan would be

for you to let her have your third

pair and you take the pair I send for

your third pair. I intended putting

a few band on them tomorrow, but

shall not now have time. Tell Ma

not to disturb herself about your flannel

[jackets?] for next winter. If you can

through this I reckon I can get yarn

through for you by that time. I tried

very hard to get some [?]

for them but could not get a bit. I sent

Mother my bombazine dress, I think

it will make her a right decent looking

dress for a while yet. I intended doing

a little fixing to it tomorrow, but shall

have to send it without. I sent also

a purple lawn dress, for either you or

Sister, whichever Mother thinks needs

[Page 3]

it most, I reckon you have the most col-

ored dresses, but Sister the most black

ones that she can still wear. Ma

must decide whoever takes it had

better make a new pointed yoke to it

I sent the pieces. I say "I sent" all these

things but I only mean I am going to

make an effort to get them to [?]

and then make another effort to to get them

to Belmead and from Belmead to Bremo**

so you see I may fail, but I shall try any

how. I do not know even that you are

still at Bremo**, but I thought if you

had gone, Mrs. Brent would probably

still have some opportunity of sending

it. I wish I had Father's hat ready to

[send?] but the Dr. has not yet succeeded

in getting the machine to work. I feel

very anxious about you all particularly

about Father's and Mother's clothes and do wish

I could do more for them, let me know

all you hear of them. I have not heard

a word since their first letters giving

an account of the yankees. I have had

two letters from dear Sister, one enclosed

[Page 4]

[for?] you four mailed in Richmond.

In the last she seemed to be quite low

spirited and laid up with a bad cold. I

feel very anxious about you all so let me

hear from you as often as you can and

keep up your spirits, remember it is [?]

to be thankful for that you have a house

over your heads [?] [?] even if it

[?] belong to someone else, and that the yan-

kee demons did not cut up your clothes.

We hear the yankee cavalry have [?]

course over the southside of the James

and we are in daily dread of a raid.

The agents are going through the county

[?] pressing the [horses?]. I had a note

[a] few days ago from Mr. John, I will

[enclose?] it. It speaks for itself. I [answered?]

it immediately and told him you had writ-

ten to him at the same time you had

to me, and I hoped your letter had reached

him before mine. I have not yet heard

a word from Mr. McPhail but [Johnson?]

DuPuy's letter was 7 days coming from

Farmville and I may get it yet. It has

not been quite three weeks since I

[sideways on page 1 across earlier writing]

wrote to him. Did you get one of those spools of very fine

cotton from Keysville

last [summer?], if you

did and will send it to

me I will crochet your

collar for you. Perhaps

you can send it by

Belmead. If so, send me

some coral beads at

the same time [?]

I must [?] pack my

carpet bags. I can't tell you

my darlings how much I

want to see you and I don't

see the least chance of our

being together next [summer?]

but I try not to think of it. Mr.

[Booker?] writes to me [?]

to come up [there?] just as soon as my school

[...] it will not be like [?]. I trust you all. Hattie

[**side note that Bremo is a mansion owned by a Dr. Cocke where M.C. Lee spent time during the war. M.C. Lee is a close friend of Selina Powell, Hattie's mother.]