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Mt. Pleasant Mar 25th /63 My Dear Brother,

It begins to be time for me to write to

you again & as I have a little spare time this morning I will

answer your last letter which came very acceptably. I suppose by

this time you have had your furlough which I hope was not

a sick one as the other was. Brother Dick left for his company

yesterday his furlough was about three weeks. During the deep

snow which we had about a month ago. His ^Brigade^ was out on a scout

he having command of a Squadron after getting about [30?] or 40

miles from camp they came up on a party of Yankees who were

all so scouting our boys were ordered to charge them. They

ran but were reinforced & turned to charge our men. Gen

Fitz Lee ordered them to charge again Brother D. gave the order &

started but turned to look & see if his men were following

when his horse ran into a lap of a tree a limb struck

him across the knees & he fell throwing Bro. D. over his head

into a very large mud hole. The horse gathered himself up & left

for yankeedom ^carrying his saddle & blankets with him^ & leaving him

a foot as wet almost as could be. For

tunately we got the best of it & took good many horses & prisoners

about [150?] of which the 3rd Reg took about 40 & Gen Fitz Lee gave

Bro. Dick a beautiful dark gray Yankee horse with a very elegant

saddle & two almost new nice blankets & a furlough. The wetting

didn't hurt him at all. He looks as well & strong as can be & as [hearty?].

Bur poor fellow he went back with a sad heart for while he was at

home. The Yankees crossed at Kelly's Ford & his company were again

engaged. I suppose you have seen Gen Stuarts official report.

We felt very anxious when we saw it but didn't know how

much cause we had for being so. Saturday we heard that Hal

Edmunds was killed but sunday Brother Dick sent us a letter

which he had received saying that it was thought at first that

he was mortally wounded but as he was better it was hoped

that the wound would not prove fatal. The battle was fought

[Tuesday?] Monday we sent to Brother's to hear from Hal & Fannie

wrote us word that Brother had gone to Gordonsville Thursday as

soon as he received the telegram. ^He wrote Saturday^ that he found Hal very pleasantly

situated in a large room with only one other wounded soldier in it

that he was decidedly better. The ball a grape shot almost as large as a

guinea egg had entered his left breast & come out under his

shoulder blade lodging in the skin. The surgeon thought more

favorably of his case than he did at first. He thought at first

that the ball had cut his lungs, but as it had not there was

hopes of his recovery. Mr. William Richardson, Dr. Wood of [?]

& Paul [Venable?] were with him. Dr. Wood left him Saturday & brought

Brother's letter. Brother wrote that he would think it almost a

miracle if Hal recovered after such a ball had passed through him.

Mr. Richardson wrote that his pulse was good & that he was doing

as well as could be expected with such a wound that as his lungs

were not injured they had great hope of his recovery & that he was

decidedly better than he was two days before. There were three others

wounded in the company [Bob Cunningham?] (son of the sheriff) mortally

wounded through the bowels & Bondurant & [Fay?] Scott slightly.

[Fay?] was expected home yesterday he was wounded in the calf of

the leg flesh wound. We feel when so many are wounded just around

us that the war is a great deal nearer. Willie Booker had just joined

the company a day or two before & he had his horse shot in

the collarbone so that it will not be fit for use for a long time he

was struck on the left arm with a spent ball. Brother Dick's new

Yankee horse was killed Ned Price rode it & Charles Flournoy had

a horse killed under him. The Pr. Ed. Cav. made three charges. Gen

Stuart says it was the hardest charging he ever saw. We feel that

we have been blessed above measure when not one of your nearest kin

have yet fallen in battle. Ma is a well as usual. But the whole

family here have dreadful colds. The white children are taking

the whooping cough & some of the black ones are quite sick with

it. Mr. Kidd has had a sick family all winter. We dread the

whooping cough for little Fan. Dr. Eggleston's children are just getting

over it. They had it very badly. Mother & Brother Dick & the children

came up & staid a day & night here so I suppose [Eunice?] & Minnie will

have it. I suppose that you have heard that Cousin Margaret [Morton?]

has another great fat girl. Cousin Paulina wrote to me last week

that Doc expected to be married last Thursday. Haven't we had

snow on top of snow. Mr. Kidd sent the money to cousin James

[Ligon?] by Brother. I have received only one receipt for the [messenger?]

& suppose that I will get only one copy. Ma & all join me in love

to you & all the Cousins. I will write to [Abe?] soon.

Your Own Loving Sister, Pattie

following written in top margin:

Millie [Crable?] & baby are doing well. Brother Will & all were well

last week. I wrote a long letter to Nannie a day or two ago & it was

delayed so I told her about Hal Edmunds.