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[Note that this letter is to Cousin Nina Powell. He refers to Hattie and Rebecca and then calls Nina by name at the end.]
Hd. Qs V.D April 10th 1863
My Dear Cousin,
You must excuse me
that I have not written till now to ackno
wledge the receipt of your letter [?]
the pretty comfortable cap which ac
companied it. My reason for not writing
immediately and [?] thanks was
that a plan was on foot to go down
and attack [Milroy?] and I expected it
to be coming into affect in a few days
and then hoped to give you some
news from Winchester knowing how
much you are interested the place, but
Gen'l Stuart interfered with that ar-
rangement and we were waiting on
him for a long time expecting him every
day but he did not come. Finally
giving him out I went off on my
furlough which I had gotten some
weeks before. I took advantage of it.
On my return I found your letter of the
23 [?] and hasten to reply. I went from
here to Charlottesville where I spent several
days very pleasantly. Saw Miss Mary [?]
several times and the Misses [?] from
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[Berkely?] who were staying with her. They are [very?]
interesting ladies. The change that I found
in the [?] was quite agreeable - young
ladies have taken the place of the students
on the lawn - formerly when I called on a young
lady I would probably find some two or a
dozen students in the [room?]. Now I find
four or five pretty young ladies and myself
the only gentleman. There it is sad to see the
cause of education suffering so much and to
think of so many talented young men
deprived of the advantages of such an
institution. But as things are now it
would be [even?] more sad to see young men
flocking to the place - for who would not
rather be an unlearned freeman than
an educated slave. From Charlottesville
I went to Uncle Wellington Gordon's, where
I spent several days very pleasantly and
learned some news of the family which
you will be glad to have. When I got to
Uncle Wellington's I found that cousin
Meg had been gone several weeks. She
got a very pleasant situation at a [Mr.?]
Pope's in Brunswick only some 7 or 9
miles from where cousin Hattie is teaching.
Mr. Pope is represented to be a very [nice?]
gentleman indeed and they live in fine
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style. He is a widower with two grown daugh
ters. Cousin Meg's duties are light only
three bright little children to teach - from
her own account her situation is a very
pleasant one and I would not be surprised
if in the course of time it should prove
her happy home. It would be hard for
one to live in the home with cousin Meg for
any length of time without becoming an
admirer of her and as widowers are at
least not less susceptible than other people.
I think it natural though that Mr. Pope
should become a lover in due course of
time. He may regard himself a [favorite?]
of fortune if he gets her. Cousin Nellie
was to start on the 8th of April to Cousin
Sallie Harrison's in [Cumberland?] to teach
her little children. Cousin Kate is looking
very well - is a handsome girl - Cousin
Nellie received a letter from Kate [?]
a few days before I left but she made
no mention of any body in Loudon so
we take it for granted that all are well.
Tip Powell and Frank Grady were captured
by the Yankees in Loudon a few weeks
ago and carried on to Fort McHenry. Tip
has returned, but Frank is held as a
citizen. He had made a successful
trip Alexandria through Balto & Washing
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ton and returned safely to Loudon but [?]
about then until he was picked up and carried
off. He does not deserve anything better
do not say that is uncharitable in a
brother. I am sorry that it happened, but
he got what he deserved and nothing more.
Ned and Frank are both very well and we
have all stood the long disagreeable
winter very well. There is very little sick
ness in camp. Holmes [?] is [?]
of the 11th VA Calvary. I see him frequently.
I heard this morning that Mr. Logan's
family of Winchester had been turned
out of their home and sent out of the
lines to Woodstock. Mr. [?]'s
family were also turned out of home
but not sent out of the lines I believe.
Give my love to cousin Rebecca and
tell her that I will take pleasure in
forwarding any letters to Balto she may
send me. If she has US post
age stamps she had better put them
on them for I do not know whether they
can be readily gotten down in the
lines. My furlough does not expire
until the 25th of April but I have
returned to the post of duty within 15 days
it commenced March 25th. I feel better
satisfied at the post of duty than any
where else. I have something to do here and have
not any where else that I am aware of. We
are now near Lacey's Spring [?] to that PO
or Harrisonburg and write soon Cousin Nina to your
devoted cousin Powell Grady
