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Dear Cousin,

Knowing your anxiety about us all, I write to let you know that Williams burg is not yet in possession of the emeny who have not ad- vanced further than Newport News where they had a slight engagement. Many families are leaving Williamsburg for fear of the enemy but at the same time many servants are here or protection from Hampton where not a woman or child remained from creatures(?)They arrived here in the night with not even their clothing & many of them slept on the Courthouse Green but I can assure as soon as morning came & we knew of their difficulty every door was opened to them. One of the Ladies who stayed with me says that before leaving Hampton she buried all the glass and china but the servants were induced by the enemy to tell where it was, & the Yankees dug it up & broke it in pieces with an axe & tore up the feather beds. The servants seem anxious to fight for their masters & seem faithful except 4 or 5 in Hamp ton who have gone over to the enemy.

We have had the homes full of our officers & have taken the College and the Courthouse for barracks. For the last seven days many men(?)and soldiers have in Wmsburg on the way to York Town & the region found about Hampton. A a more gal lant set of men never lived. They say they will fight all the more bravely for the unbound ed hospitality of the ladies of Williams burg. About a Mounsand (?) of them have visited the Asylum & I have a letter this morning from one of them in the Inquirer [...} my is the highest terms of it as an honour to Virginia.

I am affraid I write [...} something (?) but we are in great confusion soldiers coming in all Day & then we are so busy making beds for the Hospital which is to be in Williamsburg given the wounded soldiers.

Col. Magruder the command er of all the regiments is at York Town & sent his morn ing to John for the map of [...]

say he could not do without it as its said to be the only one existent & belongs to our Graham Mathews(?)who you know was Chief Surgeon to forces in Va. I am so thankful we had it to lend him. I never saw any- thing equal to the uprising of the people as one man to defend the "dear old Dominion"

If you would like to hear news of us all from time to time in regards the progress of the enemy let me know. I will write. Cousin Sarah has rent ed her house for the summer to some of the refugees & is coming to stay with me. I ought to have written this letter to dear Jennie but felt as if I must write to you for you must be so anxious about us all.

Farewell SM Galt