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Blenheim March, 31, 1865
Dear Nina,
I have written to you once
by way of Belmead. I have been hoping
every day to get another letter from
you in the same way, but none has
come (I got your letter and the one containing
letters) so I will write again. I did in-
tend writing you a long letter and taking
it to church on Sunday and getting the
Miss Cockes to take it from there. [The?]
[mail?] is so slow now, but the [?]
ing agent has come this evening and
the Dr. will have to go to the C. H. tomor-
row, and so can't go to church on Sunday.
So now I have to write in a hurry to
send the letter and a carpet bag down to
Miss Maria Harris by the Dr. tomorrow,
hoping to get it to church. [In?] [living?]
in that way, I send a carpet bag con-
[Page 2]
taining what few things I have been
able to spare for Father and Mother. Two
pair of socks for Father and a hank of yarn,
a flannel skirt, chemise, and pair of
drawers for Mother. The drawers are thin
and old, but I thought she must have had
one pair on [?] [?] but plan would be
for you to let her have your third
pair and you take the pair I send for
your third pair. I intended putting
a few band on them tomorrow, but
shall not now have time. Tell Ma
not to disturb herself about your flannel
[jackets?] for next winter. If you can
through this I reckon I can get yarn
through for you by that time. I tried
very hard to get some [?]
for them but could not get a bit. I sent
Mother my bombazine dress, I think
it will make her a right decent looking
dress for a while yet. I intended doing
a little fixing to it tomorrow, but shall
have to send it without. I sent also
a purple lawn dress, for either you or
Sister, whichever Mother thinks needs
[Page 3]
it most, I reckon you have the most col-
ored dresses, but Sister the most black
ones that she can still wear. Ma
must decide whoever takes it had
better make a new pointed yoke to it
I sent the pieces. I say "I sent" all these
things but I only mean I am going to
make an effort to get them to [?]
and then make another effort to to get them
to Belmead and from Belmead to Bremo**
so you see I may fail, but I shall try any
how. I do not know even that you are
still at Bremo**, but I thought if you
had gone, Mrs. Brent would probably
still have some opportunity of sending
it. I wish I had Father's hat ready to
[send?] but the Dr. has not yet succeeded
in getting the machine to work. I feel
very anxious about you all particularly
about Father's and Mother's clothes and do wish
I could do more for them, let me know
all you hear of them. I have not heard
a word since their first letters giving
an account of the yankees. I have had
two letters from dear Sister, one enclosed
[Page 4]
[for?] you four mailed in Richmond.
In the last she seemed to be quite low
spirited and laid up with a bad cold. I
feel very anxious about you all so let me
hear from you as often as you can and
keep up your spirits, remember it is [?]
to be thankful for that you have a house
over your heads [?] [?] even if it
[?] belong to someone else, and that the yan-
kee demons did not cut up your clothes.
We hear the yankee cavalry have [?]
course over the southside of the James
and we are in daily dread of a raid.
The agents are going through the county
[?] pressing the [horses?]. I had a note
[a] few days ago from Mr. John, I will
[enclose?] it. It speaks for itself. I [answered?]
it immediately and told him you had writ-
ten to him at the same time you had
to me, and I hoped your letter had reached
him before mine. I have not yet heard
a word from Mr. McPhail but [Johnson?]
DuPuy's letter was 7 days coming from
Farmville and I may get it yet. It has
not been quite three weeks since I
[sideways on page 1 across earlier writing]
wrote to him. Did you get one of those spools of very fine
cotton from Keysville
last [summer?], if you
did and will send it to
me I will crochet your
collar for you. Perhaps
you can send it by
Belmead. If so, send me
some coral beads at
the same time [?]
I must [?] pack my
carpet bags. I can't tell you
my darlings how much I
want to see you and I don't
see the least chance of our
being together next [summer?]
but I try not to think of it. Mr.
[Booker?] writes to me [?]
to come up [there?] just as soon as my school
[...] it will not be like [?]. I trust you all. Hattie
[**side note that Bremo is a mansion owned by a Dr. Cocke where M.C. Lee spent time during the war. M.C. Lee is a close friend of Selina Powell, Hattie's mother.]
