.NDY2.NjMx

[1]

Copy [underscored] N[ew] Orleans 3 July [18]’63 \ Rec[eive]d 11 July \ Rec[eive]d 11 July [‘Rec...July’ underscored]

Dear Uncle Rutson

I have yours of 20th June. – The length of time since I wrote you by Mr. A. made me somewhat fearful of a mis= =carriage. – I hope this will be fortunate in reaching you safe; particularly

                                                  carriage

as it encloses a receipt for a Glass of Honey by Express ^– unpaid, I am sorry to say; for I have only $2.50 left to live on till the 23rd – partly owing to the things sent to Dixie etc. - & partly owing to some dry goods etc. bought last week, in anticipation of somebody or other coming -whether he or she I don’t yet know. –

It is very likely this will be my last letter to you for some time. The Confederates surround the City [New Orleans] on all sides, & only wait a signal – that Admiral Buchanan with his & [Admiral] Semmes’ fleet, perhaps, is at the [Bay?] [General] Banks has all his forces at Port Hudson, & is just as near taking ...[it?] as he was a year since. – Confederates line both sides of the river, & ...[it?] will not be easy for him to return [evers?] here. From all I can learn ...[there?] is no escape either for him or [General] Grant. – Banks now holds no ...[more?] of Louisiana than [General] Butler did – i.e. Baton Rouge & N[ew] O[rleans] – All th[e] Yankees who were working Government plantations are cleaned out of their investments, Crops destroyed & Negros drawn down to Texas. Bratt, Davis & [Shesis?], [Basbank?], & others are heavy suffer[ers?] As to the much vaulted Union spirit here, the passengers via [Morr...?] Star, a week ago, shewed it. – Judge Whittaker, [J. Q. A Fellows?] [Ju...?] Neville, Judge [Hirdstand?] & about 12 more of the Union Club were passengers. Rates of premium for passages were very high; - double rate was current If this is not very like ratting; what is ? The men were all leaders...[of?] the Union Club, - a parcel of cowards & scoundrels, say I. – Two [...ing?] since. 400 Union Club men met at Municipal Hall, - they talked [“B...?] = comb much, long, loud & fierce. At last one, more practical than ...[the?] rest said – “Talk enough let us act. All who will volunteer to arm & de[fend?] “the City; stand up!” And (3) THREE stood. – The Custom Hou[se] Officials were notified they would be required to drop the quill & draw ...[the?] sword, or retire from office. Strange to say these good Union men r[emov]- =ed from office. – yesterday not a Police-man did I see on duty the reason given was they refused to shoulder arms against the expecte[d] invader. – And will [...ay?] the witches be afraid when their leader ... Shepley, shews the white feather, when challenged by Kennedy of the “T[he?] Delta’ for make libellous remarks against[struck-through] about him. This very valiant General excuses himself by saying he was drunk when he said what he did – Between [Daniel] Ullmann, the negro General, & [William H.] Emory the white G[ener]- =al commanding then as a f [struck-through] rupture. The African champion says h[is] friends shall [...?...] 4 July - & Emory says No it disturbances tom...

[2]

& some massacring are not improbable. The Negros are in a perfect ferment; they think they ought to get or do something but don’t know what. –

I am very glad you saw Mr. Mager, but sorry to hear of the fall of pepper.

I will send you a bottle of “[Marmsel?] White Sauce” as soon as I get it made; - it is simply the expressed juice of the red birds-eye peppers, with a alcohol enough to pre -serve it. I have succeeded very well in my first attempt at it. – Owing to the dan =ger of the Confed[erat]s coming in, I send you the Honey today. It is not the box that I intended for you; but I am afraid to wait. This glass is not quite full. Had it been so old Baxter would have called it a “Chief [Dover?]”; it was made by the heir “Bishop General Polk, & is of course one of the Secrets of Secession. \ Mr. Adams used to be John H. Elliot’s partner here; previous to which he was in Robb’s Bank head book-keeper there. – You must remember him. \ These miserable Yankee’s will only pay 30¢ plb [per pound] for Honey; & the Confederates paid 75¢ readily. However [I?] can’t complain: - many a poor devil is far worse off than I am. My garden [h]as done, & is doing very well. – Mrs. Pollard spent Tuesday with us – helping [L]ouisa?] in many things as usual. She asked me to thank you for your kind [o]ffer regarding Mr. Pollard’s tomb. Sam however has written her that he is [...] condition & ready to pay the expenses. – She & I went & ordered it a week ago. [w]ith the epitaph you recommended “Of him it may indeed be said – He was [an] honest man.” – The whole expense of railing, tomb & inscription will be $50. When gathering Vegetables I often think how he would have enjoyed them, if here. No late account of Jenny & Press \ No news of my Sugar yet. – If Banks is [c]leaned out, or rather, as soon as he is, I shall be after it. \ Louisa is well – but is as well as can be expected. She was down town shopping, 4 days ago. And [...] to the young one – why there is no end of her; she is life all over, & already [...] about “Suddy Rights,” and the “Bonny Fag.”[Bonnie Blue Flag?] – The dog knocked her down [a] few days since, & after scolding him & calling him all the names she could , she [wo]und up with “You Yankee.” - \ I see [Captain William] Lewis [Maury] is in command & has commenced [..][...tions?. I am very glad to find him in a prominent positon. \ Louisa’s bro- [ther?] was slightly wounded in the arm, & has recovered. I hope his Irish luck will [bri]ng him thro’ to the end of the War. I think he has been in 27 fights. – [N]ow I dont think I have prolonged this letter too much. – By the way, tho’ I have [a] word to say: - Don’t judge Rutson too harshly in the Cox affair. – I don’t perhaps [kn]ow all the circumstances; but this I do know, that Mr. Cox used him as a cats= =paw to get permits, provisions, transportation etc. for his Sugar from the Officials, [be]cause he himself would not dirty his fingers with going to see them, or deal [with] them. Rutson had to charter vessels, & go up in person to get the Sugar: [...] brought it down here under the British flag, to prevent Donnell, or Bogert [...] & Avery seizing it for balances due them: & when here Mr. Cox disposed of it [hi]mself, & refused to allow Rutson any commission. The matter was by mutual con [...][?] referred to arbitration, & the decision was against Mr. Cox, who refused to pay [...] [?] is, I believe, a rough but correct outline of the facts; & I cannot say I think [Mr.] Cox acted rightly. \ Rutson is unwell with pleurisy again; & his wife & child both [lo]ok poorly. The truth is this climate don’t suit them. \ If you get a good chance please [se]nd me back my honey jar, & don’t wash it. The bees will recommence working im- [=med]iately- if some remains of old comb are left. If you can find a [ma...?] conveniently to cut [a ho]le in the top, just in the middle, cheap – say not over 50¢ - as large as a diem, [...] you please do so. The great drawback to bees working in glass is the perspiration set= [=t]ing on it & the want of vent. – P.S. I have just paid freight on the Honey - $1.50. [D]ixie papers here report that [General] Johnson fought & whipped Grant awfully on 23 June [sent?] reinforcements into Vicksburg; retook Haine’s Bluff; cut all Grants commu [-n]ications with the river; killed Sherman & 2 other Federal [.....ge]nerals. Port

[Marginalia]

Hudson has too many men, & too much Provision & Ammunition for Banks. – Banks is done fore. – A negro paper is published here !!! yours affectionately J[ames] M[aury]