University of Virginia Library

Letter from Adelaide E. Case to Charles N. Tenney, January 1st 1862

Here you sit right
before me and now for a good long
conversation. I recieved your welcome
gift yesterday, I can assure you
that it was a very acceptable Christmas
gift. I can thank you much better
when I see you than now.

I was awakened last night at
twelve o'clock by the church bell
giving notice that the “Old years”
last moments had passed and
the New year had stepped into
existence. Dear Charlie, you can

can not conceive my thoughts as
I listened to the sound of that
old church bell reverberating in
the stillness of the night
I thought can it be that this
loved country our own country must
commence another year with the clash
of arms and the cries and groans
of the downtrodden resounding
through the land? I would that
this land could have commenced
the year of 1862 in peace and
true Liberty but it was otherwise
willed

Dear brother I sometimes tremble
and entertain vague prortentions
for your safty. But a feeble effort
so made to commend you to
Him who alone can rescue
Life under the most auspi

cious circumstances is uncertain
but how fearfully uncertain it
must be when all the destruct
ive powers of warfare are brought
against it. but I trust that
you will live to return to your
friends.

I heard a report yesterday that
Hallie had been taken from his
office and placed in the ranks
by Colonel for writing a letter
in the “Democrat#” not approving the
move from Charleston

Dear Charlie your portrait looks
some? different from your discriptions
of the

Is there as great a difference in
your feelings? I shewed it to
Auntie. She said- well I
wont say what she said. It
would make you vain to hear it
I wish you knew my aunt. She is
one of the dearest aunties that I
or anyone else can boast of. Did you
ever hear Hallie speak of her? I almost
know you have. What a windy
day this is. I[t] seems that the elements
as well as our nation were in a
fierce combat with each other.
But I have not time to write much
more to day. You write that you receive
no letters from me. I think it
very strange for I may safely say that
I have written weekly.