Wednesday July 31^st

 

Dear Joseph. as I did not send this letter when we got to the Ferry I thought best to tell you before I send it that we have got back safe. We had a delightful ride, started at 5 oclock AM and were there at 10 oclock and had to wait an hour and a half till a Mass Col came to the armory gate to give us a pass to cross the Potomac, then we rode through the yard and we counted 9 buildings destroyed nothing left but the walls one of them as much as three hundred feet long we went from the yard under the trussting into the river forded it, and went on to Sand Hook saw a good many soldiers and bagage waggons and twas dry and very dusty but we got Grand ma and Billy safe a board the train and she stood the ride first rate and we then started for home the camps are at Weverton 2 miles farther/ down and I did not here a band play. Harpers ferry looks a great deal more deserted than Martinsburg does all of Halls works and other public buildings out side the yard are destroyed and more than half the private houses are unocupied It looked so deserted we were glad to get out of it into the country which lookeded charming, the wheat some in shocks and some in stacks and the corn beginning to ear. we were lost in trying to find Mr Hoberts but finaly arrived there and stayed all night Billings has gone to New York to keep from being compelled to go with the Malitia, while there there came a long a band of about 25 Garillas with a seccession flagg and and advised Mr H not to assist the Union troops in any said they had posession of Jefferson Co now. Mr H was sorry he had not asked them if they had took Harpers ferry. there are 200 Union troops there Lizzy told me to be shure and give her regards to my Boston friend when I wrote what a sweet place they live in

 

            my best love to all      Harriet

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