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Rome June 10th 1862 Tuesday

Dear Nina,

I received your very welcome letter on Fri

day, and yesterday and was very glad to get them but

in neither did you give me any direction, so I shall

have to guess at this. I am very glad you all are so

nicely fixed, but I do feel as if you had gotten right

far away from poor me. When your first letter came

telling me you had concluded not to come, Willie brought

the letter to my room and laid himself on the bed

while I read it saying, "tell me, Miss Powell, is your

Ma coming?" When I told him no, Maria suggested

that I would cry. Willie's arm was around my neck

in an instant, and his face close up to mine. "Miss

Powell, don't you be so sorry you are staying with

we all." He gets on quite rapidly in learning to read I

think. When I came he did not know near all his

letters, and now he can spell with ease five or six lines

at a lesson of such words as cat, rat, etc. Cousin Mary

Lee is staying here now. She talks as much as ever and

patronizes me extensively, but is very agreeable. Mrs. Tucker's

youngest sister Mary Wilson has been here for the last

ten days, she and I walk, talk, read, and sleep together

and I like her very much. I am very much relieved

to hear George [Adais?] wound is not dangerous, but

very much grieved to hear of Willie Gray's and Mar

shall Barton's death. How did you hear of the latter?

[note to Swem - the bottom of this page has been cut off]

[page 2]

I did not observe Willie Carr's name. Mr. John Tucker

had sent me word Jamie Washington was taken

prisoner, but I was in hopes it was a mistake as I

saw no notice of it in the paper. I have not heard

from Pa for nearly two weeks. I don't know what is

going on in Richmond. Isn't it right hard upon

the people of Winchester that they have to be left again.

Did you ever see so much cold, damp, rainy weather

in your life, it makes me feel wretchedly, I wish it

would clear up. It has been raining hard all day

to-day so much so that I did not go to the school

house, but [?] heard my lessons in my room. Mrs. T is just

getting up from another spell of chills, but you all

must not be uneasy about me, they are not very com

mon things here, and are only brought on by great

imprudence of which Mrs. T is constantly guilty. I

am not. Mrs. T told me the other day I was getting

burnt going to the school house so she gave me a piece

of brown linen, and I have made myself a nice

sun bonnet - [corded?] with black. I am now mak

ing my [thin?] dress, have about half done it, but it

don't look to me as if we should have any weather

warm enough to wear it. I think yours is very pretty

and will be much more useful than mine. I don't

know how I can stand the fleas here all summer, I

am nearly devoured, bitten as only I can be bitten. I

believe, and I think soon there will be nothing left

of me. I have not been anywhere except to church

and once to Cousin [?] [Castlemans?] since I have been

here but feel no inclination to do so. Mary and myself

have however promised to ride over to Mrs. Baird's

some evening this week. My principal occupation

out of the house is gathering roses to feed the deer.

[Hand writing perpendicular on page 1]

Write and tell me how

you like your new

home, occupation, etc.

Will Mother stay with

you or what [while?] she

[?]. I wish the battle near

Richmond was over.

Write me if you hear

any thing from Char

ley, or from Winches

ter. Cousin Mary sends

her love to you all.

Write soon to your

attached sister.

Hattie L. Powell

The deer had twins

last night, but one

of them died. It is

the prettiest little

spotted thing you

ever saw.