University of Virginia Library

Letter from Charles David Brand (with an addendum from C.F. Moseley) to William Francis Brand, August 12, 1866

Your letter came to
hand some two months ago. I was
truly glad to hear from you you must
forggive me for not answering it sooner
as I was very busy at that time.
I am now pretty much through my
busy. I will give you a sketch of our
crop We have a fine crop of tobacco
& corn but I think if Providence dont
smile on us & give us a little rain,
the corn crop will be cut short in
this neighborhood. we have not had
but one rain in the last two months
but I still have some hopes yet
Will, we made a fine crop of oats I think
we will make about 1500 hundred
bushels. Will you said something
about being an old grayheaded bachelor if
you will come over on this side of the
Ridge where love & beauty reigns I think
you could find some old widow
that would sympathise with you in
your troubles,—for I cannot after hearing
how badly you treated Kate one
that you loved so dearly but alaſs

that love is forgotten. will if you
cannot love her again I would not advise
you to marry her for it would be
unwise to marry any lady without
true love—Will said something about
the times being better in RockBridge
& your substitute for greenbacks I would
like to have about 10 gal. of your
substitute for it is a very scarce thing
in this neighborhood. you say that the
wheat was very good in RockBridge I am
glad to hear that there is a good crop
made somewhare for we have failed
in this county. Will you ought to
have been with us on the first sadurdayy
in Aug we had a grand memorial at
the Buckingham female institute there
there was about 500,hundred persons there
& about two thirds of that number
lovely fairsex there wore some of
them butiful I could hadley keep
from falling in love with some of
them. we had some fine speaches
uncle made one 12 pages long I enjoyed
myself very much. I was over at
Scottsville a few days ago I was at uncle
Joes I found all well there They told me cousin sweety & Jocy Jane was sick Over the mountain they said that
girls you had called on them.
When I saw the old Blue Ridge it
made me think of home & the happy hours
that I have spent there. I would like
to come to see you all do not know when
I can get an opportunity to do so but I
will come as soon asp I can. I think you
might come & see us. It is not so far
that you should dread the ride trip
we could give you some watermellon
to eat now.

I received a letter from John a few
days ago He said all the family was
well That was the first letter I have
received since I was over I came to
the conclusion that they had forgotten
how to write it looked very much like
it. how is John & Misſs Lightner getting
along he did not say anything about
it in his letter. Will I will bring my
letter to a close as uncle wants to write
a few lines. aunt Elysa is with us now
She sends her love to you & all thefamley
me in sending their love to you.
nothing more at presant