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[Blenheim?] May 14th

Your most welcome letter of the 28th darling Nina, enclosing Fath- ers and Mothers notes arrived yesterday how I cant - [?] you. It was sent to me from a free negroes house near here but however it came it was most welcome. It made me at first ex- ceedingly uneasy about my dar ling Mother, but I read the [pg?] what she said about herself and she seems to think there is no cause for my [uneasiness?] so I have determined not to allow myself to be so, but you must write as often and as soon as you can so as to let me hear. I have made various efforts to get letters to some of you since the fall of Rich mond but doubt whether any of them have reached you. People in this

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part of the country have been having so much trouble with their [ser?] vants that gentlemen do not [?] [?] to have their plantations. For a while they were very dangerous. They picked up the [?] which our miserable deserters threw away and banded [?] together and went about the country robbing and breaking into peoples homes. We did not have them in this neighborhood, but down about the C.H. they [kept?] the people in constant alarm for some [?] or five days, they have now been put down however. Poor creatures, they are shooting and hanging them without mercy over in Amelia and about the [?], I mean their yankee friends, so we hear Three of the [?] have left - and five of Mr. W. H.'s, but we have had no trouble with those who remain I have no heart to speak of our count try, this disappointment is very griev ous and hard to bear. God must have in- tended it to work out some great good, but

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it now is certainly hid from our eyes. It is hard to keep our faith, and the faith of many seems to have failed particularly among our soldiers, and I know not what to say, when I hear them say as Willie [Starke?] said the other day, "certainly God is not a God that heareth prayer." I have heard some news of our friends which you don't seem to have heard. [Hugh McGuire?] is over here at Amelia Springs about 20 miles from here. I fear mortally wounded, certainly in a most critical condition, I have not been able to hear from him but once. I will send you [Hunters?] note, take care of it. Johnnie Williams is reported killed. I don't know whether it is true. [Mr?] Goodman inquired after Mrs. [Bookers?] boys for me after [Fitz?] Lees cavalary was disband ed and was told by a soldier of their com pany who said he had seen them and they were both well and safe and with the [?] [?] when it disbanded. He could not remember the nuances of any of the

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other boys. Maj Wolffe, Maj Hunter, and Keith Armistead [?] have several days on their way down, the Maj and Keith inquired particularly after you. Charley Dandridge came to see me too, I did not know the boy at first, he is so handsome and so like his father. Poor [Val?] Harris, [Francis?] brother was killed near the high bridge and they have never been able to find his body. He was the [flower?] of the family, as it is all over but how fallen. Tell Mother [?] [?] that a band of ruffians treated Mrs. P (where she lived) dreadfully broke into the house in the night dragged her out of bed insulted her grossly and she only saved herself by getting into another room and locking herself in. She does not say what became of Ellen except to say that they had cut up her clothing before her eyes. A band of negros had been into Mrs. L's house, robbed [?] ably, put a pistol to Mrs. L's head, but did not really hurt them. I had long letters from Agnes and Minnie [?] [?]

[handwriting at page 1 written sideways]

Sunday morning. Sister's letter of the 20th and yours of 17th first arrived and I have to send this back by the same opportunity, have not even time to read them first. I am fearfully [?] but anxious about Mother, so write [soon?] Yours, Hattie