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[Note that this letter is to Cousin Nina Powell. He refers to Hattie and Rebecca and then calls Nina by name at the end.]

Hd. Qs V.D April 10th 1863

My Dear Cousin,

You must excuse me

that I have not written till now to ackno

wledge the receipt of your letter [?]

the pretty comfortable cap which ac

companied it. My reason for not writing

immediately and [?] thanks was

that a plan was on foot to go down

and attack [Milroy?] and I expected it

to be coming into affect in a few days

and then hoped to give you some

news from Winchester knowing how

much you are interested the place, but

Gen'l Stuart interfered with that ar-

rangement and we were waiting on

him for a long time expecting him every

day but he did not come. Finally

giving him out I went off on my

furlough which I had gotten some

weeks before. I took advantage of it.

On my return I found your letter of the

23 [?] and hasten to reply. I went from

here to Charlottesville where I spent several

days very pleasantly. Saw Miss Mary [?]

several times and the Misses [?] from

[Page 2]

[Berkely?] who were staying with her. They are [very?]

interesting ladies. The change that I found

in the [?] was quite agreeable - young

ladies have taken the place of the students

on the lawn - formerly when I called on a young

lady I would probably find some two or a

dozen students in the [room?]. Now I find

four or five pretty young ladies and myself

the only gentleman. There it is sad to see the

cause of education suffering so much and to

think of so many talented young men

deprived of the advantages of such an

institution. But as things are now it

would be [even?] more sad to see young men

flocking to the place - for who would not

rather be an unlearned freeman than

an educated slave. From Charlottesville

I went to Uncle Wellington Gordon's, where

I spent several days very pleasantly and

learned some news of the family which

you will be glad to have. When I got to

Uncle Wellington's I found that cousin

Meg had been gone several weeks. She

got a very pleasant situation at a [Mr.?]

Pope's in Brunswick only some 7 or 9

miles from where cousin Hattie is teaching.

Mr. Pope is represented to be a very [nice?]

gentleman indeed and they live in fine

[Page 3]

style. He is a widower with two grown daugh

ters. Cousin Meg's duties are light only

three bright little children to teach - from

her own account her situation is a very

pleasant one and I would not be surprised

if in the course of time it should prove

her happy home. It would be hard for

one to live in the home with cousin Meg for

any length of time without becoming an

admirer of her and as widowers are at

least not less susceptible than other people.

I think it natural though that Mr. Pope

should become a lover in due course of

time. He may regard himself a [favorite?]

of fortune if he gets her. Cousin Nellie

was to start on the 8th of April to Cousin

Sallie Harrison's in [Cumberland?] to teach

her little children. Cousin Kate is looking

very well - is a handsome girl - Cousin

Nellie received a letter from Kate [?]

a few days before I left but she made

no mention of any body in Loudon so

we take it for granted that all are well.

Tip Powell and Frank Grady were captured

by the Yankees in Loudon a few weeks

ago and carried on to Fort McHenry. Tip

has returned, but Frank is held as a

citizen. He had made a successful

trip Alexandria through Balto & Washing

[Page 4]

ton and returned safely to Loudon but [?]

about then until he was picked up and carried

off. He does not deserve anything better

do not say that is uncharitable in a

brother. I am sorry that it happened, but

he got what he deserved and nothing more.

Ned and Frank are both very well and we

have all stood the long disagreeable

winter very well. There is very little sick

ness in camp. Holmes [?] is [?]

of the 11th VA Calvary. I see him frequently.

I heard this morning that Mr. Logan's

family of Winchester had been turned

out of their home and sent out of the

lines to Woodstock. Mr. [?]'s

family were also turned out of home

but not sent out of the lines I believe.

Give my love to cousin Rebecca and

tell her that I will take pleasure in

forwarding any letters to Balto she may

send me. If she has US post

age stamps she had better put them

on them for I do not know whether they

can be readily gotten down in the

lines. My furlough does not expire

until the 25th of April but I have

returned to the post of duty within 15 days

it commenced March 25th. I feel better

satisfied at the post of duty than any

where else. I have something to do here and have

not any where else that I am aware of. We

are now near Lacey's Spring [?] to that PO

or Harrisonburg and write soon Cousin Nina to your

devoted cousin Powell Grady