.NDIy.NTc5

[1]

Letter from Mrs. Cox – received 23 May

29th April 1863

My dear Mr. Maury

I fear that you will find me very troublesome; but I am not intending to inflict a long letter upon you this morning, but merely a line to ask the favor of you to hand the enclosed letter for Miss Steers to Mr. Prince, if he is alive, & if not to Mrs. Okill, the lady who kept or keeps a large Pension for your ladies. – I have not heard from Miss Steers for a long, long time, & there- -fore know not her address. – (Mr. Cox is in the city & will be up, I hope, tomorrow. – The planters are in a great state of alarm: - it is said that an order has come from Washn. to conscript 250000 Negro men – all able bodied men on each plantation -to be located through the State, in place of white soldiers; - & also that an order has come to call a State Convention, to change the Constitution in order that there may be an election of the Mem -bers of Congress, & also, I presume for immediate emancipation of the Slaves. – This is the rumour, -Heaven help us! Ruin & beggary stare us full in the face. – We have not been paid for any thing – horses, mules, beeves, corn, hay, negroes &c. – that we have lost. – Should the first order be carried out, we could not remain here -our lives would not be safe. – The question is – where would we go? – what would we do?

The Negroes are now demoralised by associating with the Abolition Soldiers. Even the small ne- -gro children will look at Mr. Cox, and pass without speaking or touching their hats. In other days it was, - “Good evening, Master: - How do you do, Master,” &c.

Not a word from Marcia. – No news from Rutson since my last to you – Love to

[2]

Miss M & Sarah. – I hope Tobin has arrived & that Mytton is ready to escort his Aunt.

Every yours truly – M. M. C -

We are eating green peas, & new Irish potatoes. Dewberries have been ripe for two weeks. – I have little appetite for anything, unless I could get iced[underlined] water. That[underlined] we can’t afford: - neither could we get it; - there is now no regular steamboat plying to & from the city. –

P.S. 1st May – I write a line to say that Mr. C_ got back last evening, & brought me a number of letters – yours among them of the 5th April. – Good news from Marcia: - a letter dated 11 March, tells us that they are all well & comfortable, with Mrs. Carrington in in Charlotte.

I am glad to find that you have heard from Nan, & that Fontaine is likely to get employment in England – Rutson as taken an office in N. O.

                   be troubled with

Hope you will never more ^ have[crossed out] Vertigo.

Our prospects do not mind[crossed out] brighten. The Planters are going to send a deputation to Wash- -ington to state grievances; but it will avail nothing. – Mr. Cox was one of the number ap- -pointed; - he will not go

Yours ever M. M. C_

I wrote to Mrs. Pollard; am very much pleased at what you said.

Notes by R M on this letter. – Mr. Prince knows nothing of the present whereabouts of Miss Steers: he supposes she is still in the South, somewhere, but don’t know where. – Sarah tells me that Mrs. Okill died the winter before last, but will try to learn whether any of her kin know any thing now about Miss Steers.

There are not 250,000 of male negroes, of all ages,[‘all ages’ underlined] within the State of Lousiana! – I wound up a reply to-day (23rd May) to Mrs. Cox thus; - “Keep up your spirits: - don’t take up sorrow at [interect?]; - remem- -ber the comforting text – “Be careful for nothing &c.”-