.MTAwNQ.MTU3OQ
Carysbrook July 16th 1864
Saturday morning-
I must write my beloved husband a few
lines telling him how we are getting by, tho'
if my letters are as slow in reaching him as
his are in reaching me it is "loves labors lost".
Day before yesterday I recieved your letter
written a month and two days before which
had, however, made an eccentric movement
round by Clarksville- with it came a letter
from Helen giving a full account of their
scare at the time of the Yankee raid, in
=stead of going over the ground I enclose
her letter, and will devote mine to other [?].
Nannie and Mr Mason are to spend
the day with us, and Tuck and myself
have just been making an ice cream
out of butter milk, brown sugar and peach
leaf seasoning. I wish you could be here
to enjoy it, for tho' it does not sound very
promising, I [?] you it will be very good.
Day before yesterday we spent with Nannie
all the morning we were interrupted but
in the afternoon we settled [?]
[P.2]
[?] for a nap but in truth for a good
talk, which we enjoyed not a little. Mr
Mason's little nephew is at the Rectory, and
near having had whooping cough I cannot
take Charley there. Out boy is getting on as
well as possible, tho' night before last he was
feverish, and at night he coughs a great deal,
his cough is on the increase, but he is having
the disease as mild as possible, and you
need feel no apprehension with regard to him
Little Mary too, is doing well.
Are we not having splendid news from the
Army? Tho' I must confess to great anxiety
about out akin[?] Army. Montague wrote
the things of Genl. Wallace's [?] by Early
in Maryland. and of the dissention among
the different parts is at the North. I do believe
that peace is near at hand or an armistice
or something that will bring people together
again. The hint you gave of the thought of
coming on to Va, to the Battles around Richmond
filled me with angst that you had not come
we might have been together for, at least, a
little while. Mrss Lizzie Jones is with
[P.3]
Nannie at Mr Paine's, they having been
shelled out of Petersburg, several shots papered
through the house they were living in. I wrote
you of [?] Posey Page's fall before Petersburg.
The mail has come and still no news from
you, my husband. Tuck is reading a
letter from Mrs Clarke of Gloucester. The
people there have been suffering much from
robbers [underlined]. Don't know whether they are white or
black... Some [underlined] are black and have been taken
up by the Yankees and are in chains. Their
[?] were very high handed returning
night after night to the same place. Mr
Clarke lost a great deal of meat and lard &c.
Mr Curtis his horse. Mrs Perrin all her
meat. I am hoping to hear from my dear
Mother, and should not be surprised to
see her anyday I am sure her anxiety
must be great to see her children. Tuck
reads out items from Mrs Clarke's letter while
I write. Mr Clark and Mr Curtis were taken
up and carried to York, but permitted to
return late at night. Of course this was
[P.4]
sometime back _ date June 29th. I pray God
that the end is near, and that our poor land
will shortly be free from the Vandals who have
so long oppresssed our people. Sainty Bryan
is in the same Company ^20 Howitzers where
with your Mother's servants. I shall write to
him to look after them. Ain't that right?
The company when last heard from time [crossed out]
were near Seven Pines- I am truly rejoiced
that they are not with the advance with
Maryland. What must I do about our
next year supply of flour. and corn? The
wheat crop is a short one about here and the
Government wants half of that, the remainder will
suspect be very high and I sometimes think
we ought to control numbers with meal. I am
quite willing as I prefer it. Oh I [?], I do feel
depressed sometimes about the future, every
thing is so high ["so high" underlined]. Cousin R. has given ^calfskin me leather
for a pair of shoes and a jar I brought from
home will be filled with lard. If I had your
measure I would try to have you a pair of shoes
made for you. Please write to me-
Your devoted wife-
[P.5]
how provisions have been put up in price, how they- the Yanks
grumble because flour is $20 per barrel. I do trust
they may feel this war is the way we have, then we
may expect a cry from them of peace. Ranny B[?]
is with Buck[?]. I wish he would bring me a [?]
of [?]. I am rejoiced that we have brought
our supplies safely to this side of the Potomac. In
consequence meat and flour have been gone down a little
in R- I understand Jennie P- desires her love to
you. Cousin Mary is quite sick in bed. I wrote to Mr
Hopkins as soon as I got your letter some weeks ago, to
retain the money until I called for it, and requested
him to let me hear from him. He has not written tho'
weeks have passed, and I fear ["I fear" underlined] that your Power of
Attorney did not reach him. [?] [?] from
Montague so I suppose the Danville road is not
yet in travelling condition. He promised to
let me know. It is time for one to be at home,
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I do hope this long letter may not be thrown away, but that you
may receive and enjoy it. Cousin R says you
must let him know
[P.6]
tho' I am sure I don't want to go there. I hope you
got your Birthday letter as it may help to [?]
you to that day. Charley is getting on finely with
the whooping cough. Did you get the letter containing
the thorn taken from his foot? He was running
with his naked feet out of doors when the thorn
stuck in his foot. Cousin R. had to give several
pulls at it with tweezers before he could extract it. I
included the thorn to you. Charley, after I bound his foot
up in turpentine clothes [?] to walk for a day, finally
he consented to try to play lame soldiers and walk in
crutches, you would have laughed to see him. He
is quite well now. I have not been well, troubled with the
old ailment - I told you so my [?] about last
Winter an am taking medicine. The Minnegerodes
were prevented by rain from dining here on Tuesday
and we expect them to-day. We dined without them
at Mr Galt's yesterday, and had a pleasant time.
[P.6- Vertical in Left and Right Margins]
About the crops where you are. Jack Page has not been
paid off for [?] months. We get so much money in
Mary [?]. I hope you will all be paid shortly.