University of Virginia Library

Oct 13th 1866

Yours of the 19 of Aug & 26 of Sept have been recieved. Oh I cannot find words to express my joy at the receipt of your letter of the 19 August twas after I had waited so long & anxiously for a letter from you that I had concluded that something had happened & then wrote that my letter might be opened by your Pa in order that I might get some information of you. meantime your dear letter came on in other words an Angel's visit. I seized the dear letters messenger & with anxious eyes & heart full of joy unspeakable I perused its contents with un parralelled interest & pleasure the relief of my anxiety was so forcibly impressive that I could but (umanly or childish as it was) press the dear sheet to my lips & cover your name with numerous kisses. I really was never more delighted at the receipt of a letter all my life. One would have supposed from emotions, that I was much in love with than that of friendship. Sweet

dearest Kate you know I have long since defined my position fully, I have claimed to love you only as a friend & as a proof of the fact have openly told you of my fond relations with another a friend of early life whose constancy & devotion I can scarce doubt. our attachment was formed in early life. long separations during the protracted perils of war & blood Shed, my reduction (by the same) to comparitive poverty has made no change in the dearest objects of my undivided affection like you my dear Sister who has proven to be a devoted friend. She too has proven to be all that one could be, who holds the place she does, in my hearts dearest affections and nothing prevents the consumation of what has been vowed between us but my limited means & the depressed condition of the Country.

But my dear friend I dont think there is a freind on Earth that I love more as a pure & constant freind than my fond & affectionate Sister Kate she is truly short a freind can be on whom I hold very dear in freindship love & confidence.

Now my dear freind I will with painfull emotions communicate to you news that is sad to me, the death of a young man, a warmly attached & well loved freind of mine. he was

Brother of my dear Lou, he was an associate from his early Boyhood when he was quite a small boy I engaged with his Father to conduct a merchantile business for him which I did till the commencement of the war. My constant association with the family & their marked kindness draw out my warmest attachment for them all, particularly this dear Boy Calvin, he was always so particularly fond of me that I had really learnd to love him almost as a brother. he was 18 or 19 years old when he died Entered the Army the last year of the war. he was sick about six weeks with a Billious Typhoid affiction & fell a victim to the disease the 17th of august. I visited him constantly during his illness watched with pain-full anxiety the last breathings of his existance while around his dying bed stood the almost heart broken family his dear parents & fond sisters Oh dear friend how deep the unspeakable grief and anguish of all amid this scene of death. he was a lively & very cheerfull young lad & very thoughtless of here after but during his long illness he was visited by Christian freinds prayed for by the Church & before he died gave some hopeful evidence of his fitness for a home beyond the grave. Well my dear sister the scene of death & change the subject for a season I was truly sorry to hear of your illness & troubles truly hope ere this you are fully restored to health & happiness I thank you for your kind invitation to visit you I am very sorry that we are so far separated I have a great anxiety to see you but situated as I am at this time it almost impossible for me to leave home for any length of time I hope it will not always be the case. remember me ever in you prayers remember kindly to your Pa & Ma Bro & Sisters I have a great vision to meet with you all. Take care of your-self dear sister. accept my warmest wishes for your wellfare & happiness with my lasting love