Mobile, July 18^th 1864.

 

My Dear Brother,

                        Your nice long & affectionate letter of 13^th inst. was rec'd on Saturday. I am so glad to know that you are well again; I heard that you were sick, & had to have go to the Hospital, & was very uneasy about you until the arrival of your letter. I wanted to write & should have done so, had I known where you were. Did you receive my despatch? I was fearful that the carpet sack would be lost.

 

The last time "Bill" came to town he informed Mother that Sister A. & another young lady would come to Mobile in a few weeks. I supposed, of course that the "other young lady" was Jennie. I will be delighted to see them both & have written to "Sister A" / that I shall be pleased to escort accompany them to the dentist; show them the splendid city. I am with Aunt Sallie at present, came up last Wednesday. Mr. W. has been to Tuscaloosa on business & only returned this morning. He says that 800 troops came down, & four hundred went to Selma. I do hope that your Generals will be successful in their attempts to revoke the order, & that you may be sent back to Mobile after this campaign. I would not be sorry were you ordered back to-day. I have heard once from Lt. Jeter since he went to the hospital. He was then in Room no. 15, Lee Hospital, Columbus, Ga. But I suppose you have heard from him ere this & hope he has recovered sufficiently to be with you all again. Although, when I think of the / danger that surrounds you in the field, I almost wish that you & he both might continue just unwell enough to incapacitate you for duty & to keep you out of the field. A few days ago, Arthur Treat had a letter for me which he put into his coat pocket & forgot all about it; the coat letter was found by the washerwoman, perfectly saturated; she laid it upon the stove to dry & a little darkie wishing to light a candle took my letter. I should like to know to whom I am indebted, so that I might write. You can perhaps imagine how disappointed & provoked I was when I heard of it. I am sorry that Miss Fanny spoke of it to Mother. The Misses Fisk are in the room with me & they are chattering so that I have hardly an idea, they both send their / kindest regards & have repeatedly expressed a desire to see you & that you might speedily return to our fair city. Mother & Aunt Sallie send their love, Mr Walker sends his best respects; he likes you all very much & says "he loves everybody who loves Sallie". He is perfectly devoted to her. Your particular friend^(?) Miss W. has gone to D^r Ford's, she went last night to go to church with them; she has been unusually pleasant & agreeable recently. I must come to a conclusion as I have not time to write a longer letter to-day, but will try to do better next time. I will answer Capt Devall's letter soon; remember me to him & to Capt Cornelius. Give Lt. J. my love, if he is with you, & tell him I wrote to him yesterday & directed to the hospital. Write often. Accept much love from Your affect. Sister.

SOURCES