University of Virginia Library

LETTER CXLVIII.

I wrote you a long letter yesterday by post—I wish
I could recall it; for the servant of my colleague, T. N., is
just about setting out for his master's house, and will pass by
Wyllie's, or Goode's. I took the precaution, however, to
enclose my letter, yesterday, to R. G., of Manchester: that
will guard against its lying in the Richmond office; one of the
great causes, indeed the chief one, of delay. I cannot help
thinking, from my having received your last, (the 26th, post
marked the 27th, reaching me on the 1st instant, Saturday,)
that there is a change in the mail establishment. This may
have caused you to receive no letter from me on the day that

you wrote last, (Sunday, the 26th of January.) So much
for the post. Mr. N. did not mention to me his servant's
going, until last evening, and I was then too much exhausted,
by severe parliamentary duty, and a bad sore throat and
cold, to write. The weather has been intensely severe since
the night of Friday, the 17th of January, with the exception
of one or two days. Saturday, the 25th, and Sunday, (the
coldest day this year I believe,) the 26th, were exceedingly
cold, indeed; and since that period we have not had a day
that was otherwise. Saturday and Sunday last (1st and 2d
February) were not unpleasant; and, in the evening of Sunday,
I thought we were going to have a thaw, but it snowed
costively at night, with a whistling north-wester; and it has
been freezing hard ever since. I dread the thaw. The Potomac
is frozen over, I presume, to its very mouth. It was
tight at Nominy, (not very far above,) some days since. It
is there quite salt, (oysters being obtained,) and about twelve
miles over. The Chesapeake, I have no doubt, is frozen
across at Annapolis. Loaded wagons cross the Potomac.
Pray send me your journal: I mean a copy.

Now, what do you think?—Henry T's. shoulder, that was
at first neither dislocated nor broken, but then dislocated by
the same doctor, (neither physician nor surgeon;) next, by
"two able Winchester physicians," pronounced not to be
dislocated, but fractured in the corocoid process of the scapula,
then, by the same "two able" leeches, (reconsidering
their opinion, like Congress, in order to make confusion
worse confounded,) declared to be a dislocation, unusual, of
the os humeri; whereupon the said "doctors," and "four
strong men," put the said patient to the rack, without succeeding
in tearing asunder all the muscles and ligaments.
This injury has been decided, by P., W., and D., (we have
now got to the court of appeals, and can go no farther,—
right or wrong, the case is decided,) to be a fracture of the
os humeri! and my poor brother is likely to be able to attend
Congress before the end of the session. This beats Moliere,
or Le Sage, hollow.

Now, my dear Theodore, for I think I shall never call
you "Doctor" again, on the receipt of this, let the wagons
set out, if they have a load, for Manchester; if not, some
trusty hand, (not Paul, but little Quashia, or Simon,) must
carry down Spot and Roanoke, my new saddle and bridle,
snaffle, ditto, my boots, that M. brought me, and my white
leather breeches. My portmanteau, saddle, and the pillion,
straps, &c., to be left in the care of R. J., or M. The new
saddle, covered with a blanket, the irons and stirrup leathers,
papered—that is, if the wagons cannot come; then let it be
sent in a box. It is material that the wagons should make
their trip to Richmond before the frost breaks up; the roads
are now good. I shall write this day for plaster of Paris
and tar: the clover seed has been ready these two months.

You have not said a word about the dogs; nor in your last,
of the household.

My best regards to Colonel M.