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                             Richmond   June 26
                                          1864

My dear Mother,

                  Mr Lawlie

has offered to send this with his letter for the Times which leaves here to attempt the passage of the Potomac to-morrow. I wrote to you last from Wilmington via St. Georges, but I expect that the present opportunity is as safe as the passage by sea, for Grants' entire en -deavors are concentrated on Petersburg to the neglect of the Potomac line. I have been constantly in Petersburg since the commencement of operations there. When the attack was first made the town was in great danger for Beauregard had but a very small force, & when this was concentrated to drive the Yankees from a position they had gained musketry for 20 minutes was the fiercest I have yet heard, & when it is recollected that this occurred on the out- -skirts of the town it is easy to realise that Petersburg was seriously threatened. In 25 minutes tho all was safe & the town slept soundly. The next day Lee's dirty war worn veteran troops commenced to arrive & of course then all apprehension was relieved for it is not believed that any army however large of Yankees can break through their lines, much less the [hosts?] of Grant that have met at each point of their course from the Wilderness such heavy punishment. It is not Lee's policy to attack; our men are too valuable to waste their lives uselessly, & the wisdom of this course of action is shown in the enormous losses Grant has met with at every point whilst the Confederate loss has been comparitively very trifling. Both armies are in line not 2 1/2 miles from the heart of Petersburg, & the Yankees have shelled the city constantly, damaging buildings & inflicting some little loss of life to women & children, so far so small however that very few ladies have left town & the ordinary avocations of life continue as if no Yankee shell entered the streets.

     Every one is of course alive

to the Yankee policy foreshadowed by the New York papers that Grant proposed to squat in front of Petersburg & endeavor to destroy communications with a view of starving out both that city & Richmond.

 This is of course absurd, but

we will be no doubt greatly inconvenienced. In my position of chief of certain important lines I am in a position to know our facilities & if I am afforded facilities I am satis- -fied that I can balk Mr Grant's charitable intentions.

  Sheridan's raid of course did

harm, for every where these Yankee devils go they destroy everything, but in it's accom- -plishment of an object it was as is usually the case a magnificent failure & finally Hampton & Fitz Lee threshed him notwithstanding the tremendous lying of Mr Secy Stanton & the Northern press. Lawlie is seated opposite to me now engaged on a letter for the London Times, in which he states that surely the Yankees are the most accomplished liars in the World, & mentions having seen in one batch more prisoners from Sheridan than the Yankees claim to have lost in both Grant's & Sheridan's moves. I trust by this time you have been able to sift the accumulation of falsehood into something like truth. We think Grant has made a more glorious failure than any of his predecessors; we know his losses have been enormous & ours small & that he has not accomplished the slightest thing, & we believe that he is now at the end of his tether, although likely yet to be troublesome. In the Valley the beast Hunter has restored the union most effectually by his gigantic & cruel thieving expedition, but now he too is checked & it is believed will find that he too has played the devil for nothing. I have just been conversing with Lawlie & we both think that the Government should order the shooting & hanging of every man caught belonging to Hunter's command as the only way of checking the horrible outrages of these scoundrels. If it should come to the black flag the earnestness of the South would be such that the Yankee could not bear up against it I am satisfied. Everything is cheerful in the extreme, our successes are of course sufficient to make us feel so. The premium on Gold is going down & except in Virginia the prices of pro- -visions is rapidly decreasing.

  We trust the Crasy people

of the United States will come to their senses in the coming Presidential campaign but if not, terrible as it will be, I believe we can stand another four years & come out from the struggle then more prosperous than our enemies. As Mahone's brigade filed up Sycamore St Petersburg I found Cary dirty & tired after a long march, but in splendid health & spirits his enthousiasm is very fine & in the Sharp shooters he has an opportunity of revenging often poor Willy's death. Cary is a splendid fellow & of whose relationship we may well feel proud. I was glad to be able to furnish him with funds of which he stood in need. Leigh called on me last Sunday & breakfasted with me. He too is very well. Henry is now with Henry Wise in Halifax; his health is improving & I have hopes of his ultimate com- -plete recovery. Aunt Octave tells me that Thompson Brown has left Fanny a handsome fortune; she is with Mrs. Brown in Charlottesville

  All of our other friends are

well & Mr & Mrs Myers & Miss Fanny send their most affectionate re- -membrances. I suppose you are delighted with the position to which I have been called as it is safe; it was not my choice & was forced upon me, but Mr. Myers said I had no right to place obstacles in the way of ac- -cepting it. I believe in organisation I have done good & I think I have gained reputation with the Department if I can judge that even in the present difficulties most of my suggestions have been carried out, & I suppose it must make me better known generally. I have of course had trouble & sometimes have been obliged to say "must" to some of the gentlemen who have controlled these lines for several years, but all in all I get along well.

   Lawlie brought me a box

of boots socks gloves &c from London, & recently Lady E has sent me a box containing almost every thing thought could suggest, boots shoes handkerchiefs gloves &c even perfumery & notepaper.

     I am expecting a dupli-

-cate from her & if it rea- -ches me I will be enor- -mously supplied with ar- -ticles difficult to get here.

      I wrote some time ago to

say that I now control all the RRd property & that I have paid off Mr Daniel's company & Cousin Wirt, one half cash, & one half Fredg & Seabd stocks at 73. Besides the $50,000 & odd dollars for the boats Mr Daniel claims a back balance of nearly $10,000 more, I lent the account in full via London & it will reach you soon. Anxious to relieve the debt I paid the whole amount receiving an indemnity bond for any surplus I may have paid as soon as I can hear accurately.

   Mr. Ellis claims for some

collections from Post Office, I addressed him a letter stating that I would settle on the same terms as with Mr Daniel if the account was admitted which was satisfactory. Mr. Rives declines to settle for currency & stocks, stating that the Court forbids his doing so as executor. If he continues in this view I do not know what to do. When matters become more settled I must try to see him for if you choose of course the debt can be thrown on me alone under the law.

    On the Seabd road affairs

have been wretchedly managed by Wilson & we have suffered seriously from his neglect. I am now endeavoring to bring things to a proper state of productiveness. Willy M is yet with Breckenridge, he certainly is a most lucky fellow. A law has been re- -cently passed giving the Ad- -jutant of a Major General the rank of Lt Colonel, so Will will be Col Myers. He & Mattie have very much determined upon the marriage taking place next winter. It is an excellent match, he having sufficient means & she being decidedly the most beautiful girl now in Richmond & both exactly suited to each other. I sometimes now fear that Will will settle down permanently in Richmond & that I will not have his company in Europe as I have often hoped would be the case.

       I fear it is almost

hoping against hope to expect this war to end this year & yet if it continues I do not see that life will be worth much. I believe I would accept almost anything that would send me to the Continent with sufficient to live on, & if the War continues by the time my affairs here can be so arranged as to permit me to go except for the most flying visit, I will be too old to enjoy my life and there is nothing I dread more than becoming a settler without resource in one of these little towns of the South. Well we must trust for the best, & I have much faith that Providence will not allow a continuation of such wholesale human misery.

      With fondest love to Father
   & Edmund & Bev
             Believe me
               Ever Affec
                        JMR

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