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Pr. Edw April 29th 1863

My precious Hattie,

I rec'd your letter with Nina's a few days ago

but as she had just written, I have delayed answering till

now. The weather is so warm now and every thing beginning

to look so beautiful that I hope you will get rid of all

your colds and headaches and get strong and well. I am taking

bitters (a tea) made of sasparilla root, which I think will both

strengthen me to purify my blood. I can use my eyes al

most as usual now and I have finished Nina's [cloak?] sack

I cut up my old black brilliant to line it. I faced it with

old ribbon on the points and the [lesser?] part of the sleeve. It fits

as nicely as possible, but I had to take up every seam

after cutting the lining. I then cut it over before cutting the

outside and then I attached my pattern by the lining. I took

up the [front?] [part?] of the seam under the arm more than

the back, but did not make any difference in the [?].

I fear it will be a long time before we get our things from

Leesburg, as the yankees have possession of Fauquier in such

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strong force, but I reckon we will be able to get along. Nina

will have a [home?] [spun?] and R has some prospect of getting one

now. Did Mrs. T get cotton for Agnes? And will Agnes want

ball dresses? The account you gave me is indeed distressing

but such things will occur. I hope Col. T sold Henry and that

it will be a lesson to the others. [?] that this terrible war

were over and all things calm and quiet as usual. It is no

unusual occurence here, I am told, for servants to go off

and when they come back no notice is taken of it. Nina tells me

that two of Mr. Barkers were off for 2 months, only appearing

[about?] the quarters occasionally at night to get something to

eat. One of them is off now and yet nothing is done when they

get back. The women here have been off several times. Nothing

unusual has happened here since [?] [?]. We have had no

soldiers and no visitors. Nina went over to Mrs. [?] last Fri

day evening ([Horace?] came for her) and stayed till Sunday when

she returned from church with us. Willie got a new horse and re

turned to the army on Monday after a furlough of two weeks.

There is so much cavalry skirmishing on the Rappahannock [?]

that I quite dread to heave [?] the [?] these. Mrs. Watkin's son

Is Capt. of the company in which Willie B is. [Mr. Scott?] seems very

nice. He and Willie spent one night here last week. H [Edmund?]

[?] [?] [?] [?]. I have not had a letter from any body

since Nina wrote - not one from your Father for nearly three weeks

[?......................................I verily believe he thinks

we are all together and that one letter is for all. I have

not heard from Rebecca since she left here. I [rode over?] to [?]

last Saturday when she [went?] for [?]. Mrs. O asked

me to give her love to you. Miss [?] is a [real?] yankee in

manner and though she seems intelligent and I dare say is agree

able, yet I can't fancy her. Her parents are Northerners

who have lived a great deal [at?] the South and she seems born

in the South, but she was brought up and [?] at the

North and though she professes [with?] southern sentiments and I dare

say feels as she speaks, yet she is not like a real southerner.

Her mother will board with [Mr Baker?] I believe this summer.

So you will see her there [?] [?] though she will not

be there all the time, as she does not.....

[Note - I had to stop transcribing the last few lines of this page because they were too difficult to read.]

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any future time - what she will have [hatched?] will not make up [for?]

these that will [die?]. She sent up a basket yesterday morning with

56 newly hatched chickens in it for me to look at. They were little

beauties and were hatched by 6 hens - She put them with three. She

only puts 15 eggs under a hen but [sets?] several together so as to [?]

them together afterwards. Peas are in bloom and strawberries [?] [?] [?]

of the apple trees are going to bloom and the largest peach tree has

not a single blossom. I suppose it is because it [was?] so full last

year. I asked your Uncle [?] to send Richard's letter to you after

he read it. I have not heard from him [or?] seen the girls letters.

Molly, I suppose, will be in Charlotte on Saturday, though I have

heard nothing of her amusements. I should like mightily to get over

to see them. The marks on my face are gradually fading away,

but you can still see them. We get the papers very irregularly. Only

the Enquirer is taken here and sometimes it is several days that we

do not hear from the office. There is so little in it when it comes

that I don't feel as if it made much difference, except on account

of getting letters to and from the office. Have you heard from [?] Castleman

and how she likes her new house? Does Madge hear from her [Mother?]

May God in mercy grant that we may soon gather into a family

again in a comfortable home darling's. In the mean time let us [bear up?]

bravely under our discomforts and [?], considering how much worse it might

[wording written sideways on the front page]

be and that's

one [?] quiet

[?] [?]

on us [without?]

[?] [?]

Let us try to

rejoice that

our darlings

are not [?]

suffering in

camp and that

we have no

mind to be

[?] and

[?] [?] [about?]

them - God

bless you and

sustain you

and comfort

you my darling child

Nina sends

her

love

Give my love

to Mrs. Tucker

and to Maria

and to Willie

I am glad

Willie gets

his kiss

Remember [?]

[kindly?] [?] Col. T and

Mr. B[?] Your

Mother S. Powell