Petersburg Virginia January 20^th 1865

 

Dear Father

                        An opportunity to have a letter handed you direct having presented intself I am now endeavoring to let you know that I still live and breathe and have been able to do so up to the present time without any material difficulty. For the last week I have been suffering with a severe attack of “Dysentery” with some considerable fever, but thanks to the assistance of a friend in the Medical Depmt. I am up again and enjoying comparatively good health—Joe W was to see me when sick. I had the pleasure while sick of experiencing good home treatment having stopped at Mrs Jones whom I shall never forget during my spell—she was so kind and attentive and so much like a mother—she is a mother and mother of a very noble good boy about 22 years who is a perfect gentleman. And I shall owe a great deal of Kindness shown me to him. Should circumstances ever throw the family Southward and you should find them out leave no stone unturned to render them comfortable as they now stand they are worth a great deal in the way of real estate both negroes and lands and no telling what amt hard stuff. in fact they are wealthy new people Mr Jones speaks of moving to South Carolina he may move farther south probably go to Ala I have but little news to write—at least I can think of/but little now. What do you think of the condition of affairs generally speaking. I am of the opinion that something is “rotten in the State of Denmark” ‘twill be found out ere long—probably to our advantage or probably to the advantage of a distracted people—but Old “Blair” need not try to fill the eyes of the Confederacy with sand because the North is the largest it is no reason she has all the sense—I must close—sending love to all the family—

 

I am as usual
    Clayton

SOURCES