Mobile, June 3d 1864
My Dear Brother
I will commence this letter, although I will not be able to send it until I am informed of your whereabouts. You halfway promised to write to me the day after you left us & I have anxiously looked for a letter from you. I suppose I must not expect you to write to me as often as heretofore, as you have some one to write to first & by every opportunity; still I hope you will not forget your adopted sister, but will write to her as often as you can Will you promise me this, my brother? Write to me soon & finish the letter you commenced at / Bon Secour Bay; tell me all about "Jennie"; you did not have time to talk of her when you were here I wrote to "Sister Anola" on the 24th ult. also on the 26th, when I sent the shoes, which I was fortunate enough to exchange, by "Bill". Hearing that he was in town I sent for him. I am anxious to hear from Sister A. that the shoes are the right size; had to take those or none at all as it was an utter impossibility to exchange them in any of the stores. Fortunately your sister's shoes fitted Mrs Tarleton's little girl beautifully & as she had just received a lot from Europe (of very pretty kid) she willingly exchanged. They are not marked 1. but I think they are. I will be sorry if they do not fit, as they are such pretty shoes & there is no such leather to be obtained in Mobile.
I suppose Lt. Jeter showed you the photographs he has just received. Isn't his sister beautiful? and his Mother is very fine looking. You are acquainted with them, are you not? I hoped & wished when you left our house that you might be left; one day would have made no difference & then I had so much to say to you that I had not time then. The Holts were disappointed when they heard that you had been in town & they had not seen you, they have a house full of company at present. I do not where they stow them all at night. They all (the Holts, not the company) send their kind regards. Lucy says "I do wish I could see Lt. Kendall & hear him laugh". I received a letter from "__" a few days ago, in which he complained of not having received a letter from me during his / captivity & wanted to know my reason for not writing. This is the third I have got & the fourth he has written, the two first I answered. It is strange that all the letters from home have reached him excepting mine. This is a disagreeable day; it has been raining all the morning & now although it is only 10 oclock is so dark that I can hardly see. it thunders occasionally & I suppose this rain will terminate in a thunder storm. Aunt Sallie & Mother send much love, the former was very sorry that you had not time to call on her. How is Captain Cornelius? remember me very kindly to him & tell him I think he treated me very shabbily while he was in Mobile. When I wrote to Sister A I sent /
[cross-written]
my love to your "Jennie" did I do wrong? Do you think she will be displeased? If you think so, tell me, & I will refrain from doing so again. I feel as if I could love her as she is so dear to my brother but she may not desire my love & may consider me impertinent in thus forcing my self upon her notice.
June 7th Yours of the 20th ult. was received this morning together with Lt. Jeter's of the 29th have finished a letter to Sister Anola which I commenced as soon as I had yours. I am not indebted to her having not yet received an answer to my last one but as I promised to write to her immediately on the receipt of a letter from you & as you request me to write for you, I sent her a letter of six pages
My dear brother you do not know how happy I was made by the receipt of your note and what relief it was to my mind. I have been so anxious ever since you left that I cannot rest. Oh how thankful I am that you are safe May God in His infinite mercy continue to watch over you & protect you throughout the coming fray. I did think my brother that you had forgotten me but know there were others one particularly who had a greater claim upon your time than I of course I could not expect to hear from so often I am always rejoiced whenever letters received & hope you will write as often as you can.
I have not had a letter from Lt. Devall / since you left Bon Secour but I suppose he has not time as he has his family to write to I suppose I will excuse him I enclose a few lines which you will please hand him. I have had severe attack of neuralgia in the head from which I suffered so much on Saturday & Sunday that I could not raise my head from the pillow. I am somewhat better, although my face is still swollen & I have a boil in my right [?] This is the first clear day we have had for nearly a week. I think of going a few miles into the country & think I may be benefitted by the change. Would not like to leave home at present but I know that I can hear from town every day & if letters come I will get them almost / as soon as if I were at home. moreover I do not expect to be absent longer than a week. My brother, if you should be wounded which God grant you may not be come to me at least until you can go home. We will be glad to have you. you will be welcome & we will do what we can for you. We will treat you just as we always do as one of the family. I must close now for I want to finish a letter to Lt. J. commenced some time ago & to write a few lines to Lt. D. if my strength will hold out. Your friends all send remembrance. When Aunt Amelia last wrote she sent her kind regards to you. Remember me kindly to all friends. Write whenever you have an opportunity if only to say that you are safe & well. I am with much love Your Affect. Sister.
Send me your proper address
Lizzie.