Mobile Sept 20^th 1864

 

My Dear Brother

                                    You have no idea what a relief the arrival of your note of the 5^th & nice long letter of the 9^th inst. brought to my troubled mind! Oh! how anxious & unhappy I have felt about you since the battle. I have thought of you constantly & have dreamed of you. Oh! how thankful you ought to be to your Heavenly Father for His loving kindness in bringing you through that terrible conflict unhurt! But I know you are thankful & you acknowledge His divine care & protection. Don't forget Him now that you not in immediate danger, but look to Him always & give your heart to Him now. The present time is yours my brother, I do not wish to weary you by preaching a sermon, but I feel that I must write this the sincerest wish of my heart that you may become one of the Lord's people. Your note was written on my birth-day. it & the letter were received yesterday evening. Aunt Sallie spent yesterday and to day with us. Mr. W. brought her a letter from Cap^t Devall this afternoon which she will answer very soon. I am anxiously expecting a letter from him. I wonder if he received my last of the 22^nd Aug. 

 

I suppose you have ere this heard from Jennie? Her last to me was dated respectively Aug 22^nd & 23^d. She was then much better although still very weak & quit writing to take a ride. it is about time for an answer to come me to hear again & I do hope that her next communication will bring me the joyful news that she is perfectly well. I should like so much to see her now.

 

A letter was handed me on the 30^th of Aug. which upon opening I found to be for Lt. J. from his brother-in-law written a few days previous to his marriage (April 25^th) Then on the 12^th inst. received one from his sister under date Aug. 22^nd. (it came through quickly did it not?) She had heard nothing from her brother for some time, his last having been written in April & of course began to feel very anxious when the day before writing she saw his name in the paper among the "supposed to be killed." I imagine their sorrow & anxiety my brother She begged me to try to ascertain the truth & to write to her, more than once. she thought that "he might be a prisoner, but could not think of giving him up forever". I wrote to her as soon as possible & gave all the information in my power, as far as I had learned from you & David. I wrote to her Mother some time ago & will write again in a day or two. Oh! how what a terrible blow this must be. How deeply I feel for & sympathize with them, I know how hard it is / to bear. I pray for submission, daily, hourly, to be enabled to say without a murmur "Thy will be done". But I do not know what my heart is made of it is so rebellious; the question is continually arising, Why was he taken? Sometimes I wonder if our acquaintance, all the happy moments passed in each other's society, & the pleasant correspondence was a reality, or but a bright dream? "'Twas but a dream at the best, & yet when happiest soonest o'er." I  fear I annoy you with my sorrow & will write of something else.

 

The Holts, most wonderful to relate, are still in town & expect to remain until the last moment. They have received several invitations & can start at a moment's warning. They all send kind remembrance & are all very anxious to see you. you are a favorite in that house.

 

One of my old Pensacola friends whom I have not seen for four years came to see on Thursday; & I did not recognize him. He is in the army of Tenn. & was wounded a few days after Hood assumed command.

 

You ask if Lt. H. is dead. No, he is still prisoner, but writes that his health is very good^(!) It is nearly a year since he was captured & more than 17 months since he left Mobile.

 

I am very sorry that Cap^t Cornelius is sick. Aunt Sallie desires you to tell him that she wishes it were possible for him to come here that she might nurse him. /

I have been the M & O Rail Road since I wrote to you. Spent two days with the Misses Donovan intimate friends of Aunt Sallie's (the place where Uncle A. died) also of Miss Willie Gilmore. you may have heard her speak of them. the scuppernongs were very plentiful & I went just in time to enjoy them. After my return Aunt L. & Mother with Kate & Gordon went up.

 

I expect to pay a long-promised visit tomorrow, will be absent only a day or two; do not feel much like going. Sister Anola wrote me of the safe return of your Father on the night of the 1^st inst. after being nearly three months on the way. What a joyful meeting that must have been. She promised to send the particulars in a few days. I am writing at night by a very poor light as I will have to start so early in the morning that I will have no time then.

 

            Nothing could afford me more pleasure my dear brother than to see you but I have no desire to see the Yankees & would much rather forego the pleasure of seeing you for some time, if you cannot come until they attack the city.

 

Give Capt D. my love remember me to Capt C. Mother & Aunt Sallie send their love; accept much for yourself from

                                                           

Your Affectionate Sister

 

Write very soon

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