University of Virginia Library

Letter from Adelaide E. Case to Charles N. Tenney, May 18, 1862

Few, very few are the days
which I have spent equal to this.
I am not happy to day, darling, far from
it in fact. I am not well. A violent
headache has clinnig to me all day, which
added to the oppressiveness of the atmosphere
makes me feel miserable.— Oh! what a
refreshing breeze has just swept by — and
then almost two weeks have passed since
I recieved the letter that you wrote last.
Dearest why do you not write ofterer would
that you know how much happiness

your darling letters brought; and how
unhappy I feel when so long a time passes
without recieving one. Do you hear that music
Charlie? Grand isn't it? It is down stairs in
the parlor. Who is it do you ask? Libbie Armstrong
one of my scholars. (Did I mention that two
families live in this house.) She has just
played and sang, "Red, White, and Blue". I
imagine I can see Charlie, my best and
truest friend bearing that glorious flag on to
liberty. Go on dear one, the prayers and blessings
of Addie attend thee. Listen to those sweet strains
another piece she is performing now, How quickly
will music draw the heart to its gentle accents.
What language is in music. Do you see the great
tears which almost throws these lives into obscurity.
It is not sorrow that brings them now, but
it is the influence of that gentle music.
Leibbie is not a good player neither is she
a good singer but I am just far enough
away to have it sound more like the chanting of angels than like the effect of a human
being's voice and hands. I promised in
my last to give you my experience in
“boarding round” the second night. In my
“experience” that I gave you last, I think
in fact, I know I gave you the wrong
date. It was the 1st and I gave you the 14th did
I not? All for the sake of contrast here goes,

May 14, A beautiful day this has been, pleasant
both in and out of the schoolroom. My little “summer
protoges”. (I know not what else to call them) have been
very good. I can see that my school is dayly impro
-ving. What implicit confidence they place in my Heavenly
Father. sustain me and guide me in this duty, help me
to lead them in the paths of right, All unexpecteded
I came to mother Green's this evening. I came with
Charlie Green, (one of my scholars) and found his mother
absent; She had gone to the “Soldiers Aid,” After waiting
perhaps fifteen minutes she came. A small lady she
is with an intellectual and pleasant countinance. She
did not exhibit any surprise upon seeing me but gave

me a kind and pleasant welcome. How I thanked her
for that she then invited me into the parlor and soon left me,
I there had an opportunity of drawing contrasts, the room was
not richly but tastefully furnished, every thing betakened
an air of neatnesss. Choice books and pamphlets lay on a
center table, looking so inviting and a vase of splendid flowers
stood there by them lending an air of sweetness not often
I took up a pamphlet documents hundred days in Missourian court
busiest myself till commenced to tea, What a neat family
group Husband, wife and child, constituted the family circle.
After tea we conversed on various topics such as “war” ,
till — “conscience!” how fast time flew — half past ten, While
conversing on the subject of war I learned that she had a
brother who was in the engagements of Donilson and Pittsburgh
Landing. She then read a portion of one of his letters written
after viewing the battle field. He says, “I went out this morning
to survey the battle ground of yesterday, Men died and dying
lay there on that fearful field. A fearful sight it was sister
but our hearts have become so callous that the sight of a
dead man has little or no effect.” Heartless, wretch!
I could have exclaimed, but I I forbore. I wonder
if all soldiers feel so, I hope not but I must retire
for it is late, what a pleasant room this is so cozy and
nice and how tempting that bed does look?

There Charlie, you have my second nights' experience. You
can imagine which of the two which I have given you
pleased me the most, but that racking pain in my
head is so tedious that I will soon close. I wish
you would write oftener darling, it is such hard work
to wait in anxious expectation and then be disappointed.

You must excuse my pencil marks for I had not
a decent pen to write with and I have written
in a hurry too. will not withhold her
blessing from the