Phil^a Sept 28^th

 

My dear Mother

                        Your letter which reached us yesterday I would have answered immediately but I thought you would prefer a letter written after Edward arrived that you might know how he bore the journey here, it was a toilsome, weary one enough, and the only way in which he could be carried from Middletown to Frederick to Baltimore, was in a sort of smoking car with eight coffins, one of which only Ellen said was offensive, & the food they ate of course was to be taken in this car. Edward with his well arm was obliged to steady himself by leaning against a coffin, & D^r Hunt who came all the way through with him sat upon one. I tell you this that you may have some idea what his journey has been one that required all self control to keep the system from sinking the drive in an ambulance from Middletown to Frederick was so rough as to place him in almost mortal agony, and / the boat was swarming with live stock, [?] & bugs, he came in the propeller from Baltimore and arrived here this morning at three o'clock. George was at the wharf in a carriage with an easy express wagon, & mattress & he came here to me about six o'clock a little before perhaps, the meeting with Emma and myself cost him a great effort, and once over I knew he would feel better. in Ellens letter which came yesterday she implored us to show no emotion, she said his nerves were so weak, & he had lost so much blood that any emotion we might show would overcome him entirely. he calls himself a poor maimed creature, fit for nothing now, but I will not let him dwell upon the subject, with thought will come more hope for the future. just now he recollects only the bitter bitter suffering he has passed through, & still endures. he bears it nobly, never flinching, never complaining, only the tears will start & roll down his cheeks, when it comes too hard upon the nerves. Ellen has been most favoured in having the company of D^r Hunt, one of our first young surgeons, he was sent / down after the battle from here, & hearing thro' Lillie Bache he was going, George called upon him was fortunate enough to find him, asked him to look for Edward, & do whatever he could for him At that time we had no idea where Edward was. When Ellen passed through here George told her if she met with D^r Hunt he would be kind to her. She did meet with him at a station, and from that time he has been as kind as possible, waiting two days longer that he might come with them, & then coming by slow boat instead of cart, which would have brought him more than twelve hours sooner, then came & dressed his arm this morning as Dr Norris is out of town. Edward has received the best surgical aid; but dear mother the amputation is only too true, and at the shoulder joint, I tell you it frankly it is better to know the truth, and you will see how all our thoughts & feelings will be centered in him for some time to come. the D^r says I must keep him as quiet as possible, no one is to see him, and he is to have sherry wine & brandy punch every three hours, alternated with the best of everything & as much & / as often as possible, since he has no appetite he must be coaxed into one, he resists the spirits; but he feels the necessity & cannot resist long, he was reduced to deaths door before the arm was amputated. they found he was sinking rapidly & D^r Rogers who is a distinguished army surgeon of New York said he could not have lived twenty four hours longer with it. he has been doing extremely well ever since considering the severity of the operation & Ellen says in a few days he will appear better to us they have received every kindness the whole journey through & I cannot express to you how relieved I feel when I think he is here at last you may imagine perhaps, & how I felt when he said as he sat down on the sofa "All right now I am at home" George said when he reached our front door steps he exclaimed "Thank God!" here at last. John his man has been invaluable in fact Ellen does not hesitate to say she thinks Edward could not have lived through it all but for his kind care. it he took him into a church and the floor being covered he took him into the pulpit where there was but one other man & went off to try & get him something to eat he succeeded in getting him a cup of tea & persuaded a family after much urging to take him in. Do give my best love to father & sister Mary Edwards children & believe me           

 

Yr affectionate daughter Susan

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