.MTI0OA.MjE5Mg

This item is currently being transcribed by a volunteer. We look forward to making the full-text of the document available soon.

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 interefered with that [?]

[management?] 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