Houston, Texas

26^th February 1864

 

My dear Wife

                        I am still detained here as I am informed to await the arrival here of some evidence from Enterprise to establish my loyalty to the Confederate government. It has to be done by some one who has known me during the war. I have not been able to find any one here who does. After considerable search I found Doctor Dodd on the road moving all his negroes into the interior. I was on foot and without money, the Yankees having taken every thing I had. The Doctor was in a buggy and I took a seat with him and we travelled together to near Lagrange on the Colorado River and remained with him all the time (except to make a trip in a buggy to Austin on business for him) At the Doctor's proposition to furnish me a mule and money to pay my expenses, I agreed to try and get home by land, about 1000 miles the way the mail goes or more by Vicksburg or Memphis I determined to undertake it and started and got this far on my mule, where I have been detained since I wrote you by government express 12 days ago and how long I am to stay I cannot conjecture. I found the Doctor as kind and clever as possible and willing to do anything for me. Mrs Dodd sends her love to you all, was very particular in her enquiries about / you and the children. she is in about such health as when she left our country, as kind and good as she can be. The Doctor also sends his love to you and Anola and John and Willie as he recollects them. Andrew and Henry and old Aunt Mary talked much of you all. they were all glad to see me and hear from you all. I felt quite at home with these people after such deprivations as I had met with on the Yankee gun boat. I was captured by the Yankee Launch about the middle of Bay of St Louis in a small boat loaded with oranges for Mobile on which I had a lot of oranges for the children, which they were to leave on my peer head with two bags of wool which I had purchased in Hancock county and I was to be dropt at Pass Christian whare I had left my horse. The launch towed us to ship Island and transferred me & the oranges on a gun boat and as the fleet was about leaving for Texas, they took me with them without explanation as a prisoner, having previously rifled me and found I was in the government service. I was shut up below decks the only light being through the portholes. I do not know what became of the daigos. they had been caught several times before. I presume they were turned over they did not seem to care much, said they would get pay for the oranges and let loose and I suppose they were

 

My love to all the dear children. Have no idea when or how I am to get home as the Missippi is strictly guarded and frequent captures occur

                                                                       

yours Affectionately

W G Kendall

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