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Locust Hill 2nd [?] 62

My dear granddaughter,

You see I have made

a beginning and a bad one to write the long

promised letter. I have been so out of the

habit of writing so long that I can [scarce?]

form a letter. I have been enduring the horrors

of influenza for 1 or 3 days, but not with

out the consolation that I am no worse off

than others, every body in the house is feel

ing its effects more or less, including the

brave Capt Duff who was foremost in the

defence of Leesburg. He came here sick a

week since, and has had quite a severe spell

he has been well taken care of, for we know

the value of the [?] and in the [?].

We are quite anxious to see him restored

to health before the next battle, for he is

not only a brave soldier, but a good com

mander, and only 21, sober, industrious [?]

[?]. The girls have a variety of Beaus

[Page 2]

from the [Vicksburg?] Southerners Camp

over near neighbors just the right

sort for the [purpose?], very young, handsome,

genteel looking, and well behaved.

We are surrounded on all sides by en

campments, but not at all disturbed

and feel very secure in the number and

bravery of our defenders.

No more romantic affairs have trans

pired in our society since Hattie Gray's

marriage, which has turned out much

better than might have been expected.

She has written a long letter to her Mother

that seems like a fairy tale. She finds

herself surrounded with a [stately?] mag

nificence that she could not have imagined

in a large old Virginia family mansion filled

with servants, surrounded by [parks?] and [?]

laid out to considerable extent and kept in fine

order, and a connection in the neighborhood

living in the same style, she says she believes

there has been a hundred negroes to pay their

respects to their young [?].

[Page 3]

The scene has changed around us since

you left. The Vicksburg Southerners occupy

the place of the [?] they poor fellows

are employed in making fortifications