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Rome June 14th 1862

Saturday evening

Dear Sister,

I received your very welcome letter yesterday

thank you for the collar it is very pretty indeed; I

have not yet touched my [?] yet or scarcely thought

about it, I have been for two weeks just making

my thin dress, and have only this evening finished

it, indeed it is no quite done yet, it wants the

braid around the bottom. It seems to me I have so

little time I don't know what becomes of it. I sup-

pose one reason is I am so irregularly in school. We

have all meals very irregular too, sometimes we break-

fast at seven, sometimes not until after eight, then

I just have time to read my bible and gather a

few roses for the [deer?] by half past eight when I

go in school; then I have Willie two spelling & two

counting lessons and Maria's dictionary, reading,

history, geography (or grammar) writing, and dicta-

tion, and it depends upon how much she feels like

studying, and what sort of a humor she is in wheth-

er I get out at twelve or half past one. Then we dine

somewhere between one & three. Directly after dinner I

go in again, hear Willie another reading, spelling, & counting

lesson and Maria her arithmetic, philosophy, and

read poetry, which takes me from two to three hours

again depending upon her humor, or if I have to talk

her as I have once had to do, four hours. By that time

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four miles from here. They had been to see me several

times, and I think I like them better than anyone

I have become acquainted with. Mrs. Baird was a Miss

Atkinson, and is an exceedingly kind, agreeable, la-

dylike woman, invite me kindly to come over

on Friday evening & stay. The young members of the

family are two grown daughters, one about my

age and one Nina's, and a son, just eighteen, who

went into the army this spring, had the measles, broke

down & has been sent home as unfit for military

duty. One night last week Capt. Nibbit - a fat, hand-

some, wealthy Cap't from the lower part of the county, a

great friend of Mr John T's with a splendid pair of

horses staid here all night. We did not see him until

he came down to [?]. Mary suggested as we went down

that we need not quarrel over him, he would be big

enough for both, and so when he came in I got into

a giggle, and did not make a very agreeable im-

pression on him I don't think. This morning while

we were at the breakfast table, Mr. Ned Chambliss

was announced. They have been threatening me with

him ever since I came they say he courts every near

girl who comes to the county, and [?] her to death.

Some people think him a fool, some a knave. In ap-

pearance he is Cousin Charles Shephard Lee on a small

scale. He [beset?] me this morning to fix him a boquet

greatly to the amusement of the rest of the family but I

declined, I was fixing some for Maria to send to Mary

Castleman, by Cousin Mary who left us this morning.

Col Edmunds and his wife and daughter have been

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to church at Sapony, Mr Birds church; I rather dread the ride [?]

[...] arm, I'm afraid I shall be sick. I hope this weather is warm enough

[...] you, I am nearly wilting. I was so sorry to hear of Charley Barton's & Powell

[...] death, [?] too is a great loss o the country. I feel very anxious about

[...] army, though Pa mentioned in a letter I got from him on Wednes-

[...] reinforcements had been sent to him. The paper reports a very heavy

[...] army in his last two days battle, if you hear any news [?]

[...] let me know, could Charley have been with him, Pa said in his last

[...] had a letter from him & he was still at Aunt Fan's. I send you a let-

[...] from the paper written by a lady of Winchester living on Market St

[...] have been Kate Conrad. Monday morning. We went to Sapony yester-

[...] Mr. Bird who is a young, very earnest and promising young minis-

[...] think Mr. Castleman is very much liked here, to tell the truth I

[...] Mr Bird and the Presbyterian Minister Mr White (brothers of the

[...] Captain) better. He and Cousin Mary Lee had a real cat and dog life

[...] though we all know Cousin M, I don't think he treats her rightly

[...] permits and indeed encourages his children to speak to her in a most

[...] manner. In fact he is a man of violent temper and since he had

[...] fever, two years ago, his health has been so bad he has not much [?]

[...] it. He has never attempted to write but three sermons since he had

[...] and one of them was a mere school boys composition, told the

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[...] how many cows, sheep, horses, etc. he had, what he did every day, that he

[...] live in Laurenceville because there were stores there, which might

[...] his wife and children to be extravagant, etc. etc. I do not think I shall

[...] there very often. Give much love to dear Mother, I hope she will be comfor-

[...] she is, where has she decided to go, I don't think it is fair for you to

[...] her & Nina. I hope Nina will get along well with her school. Do [?]

[...] you must remember you are all together & I am by myself, but I have

[...] been lonesome, I never have time. Saturday and yesterday were I think

[...] warm days as I ever felt. I thought I had never suffered so much

[...] morning it is so cold there is no keeping warm any where. I reckon

[...] complain of the length of this letter in a different way from the

[...] write to Gettie at Fairfields, but have had no reply. Much love to

[...] I wrote to her a few days ago and not knowing her direction, di-

[...] to the care of Mr. Overby.

Ever your attached sister,

Hattie