1861 April 29 Powhatan

Gen. Jno Cocke

My Dear Brother!

I had the pleasure of reciev
ing a letter from you, some two months since, and
have been waiting to hear of your return to Va
that I might reply: and having just recieved
a letter from our esteemed and excellent friend
Miss Gray, informing me of your arrival, at
Bremo, I hasten to write to you to express my
thanks for the Kind and brotherly letter you
wrote me, and to congratulate you on your
safe return to your endeared home and
friends I feel thankful to the Father of
mercies that your valuable life has
been preserved through another winter
and that your health is still comfortable.

My own health I trust is slowly im-
proving amid my bodily afflictions I
have some things to be especially thankful
for. I have not suffered much bodily
pain and been able with impunity to
preach short sermons and do some

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some pastoral work. Mrs Tyree whose
health has also improved joins me in
affectionate regard to yourself and our
friend Miss Gray. We intend making you
a visit early in the summer. When we
shall learn that you will be at home
we will fix the time. I design that
the visit shall include a Sab. to be
spent at the old Brick [church]

I had the pleasure on the past evening
of visiting the family of your Son at Belmeade.
They are remarkably calm, considering the
intensely excited and perilous condition
of our Country, and that your son &
grandson are away in the front of
danger. It is hard to realize the
state of things we are in. Unless God
in answer to the prayers of his people,
interposes, one of the bloodiest wars
known in history is just on us. I
cannot see how it will be averted.
The wronged, indignant South can-
not and ought not to yield. The wicked
fanatical and tyranical North I fear
will not and yet the God of providence
and of nations reigns. He can

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with infinite ease avert the terrible im-
pending calamity, which now seems so
inevitable. The danger is that Southern
Christians in seeking to redress our wrongs
with the sword will lose the spirit of
Christ and cease to implore divine
help. Though unquestionable in the
right if we become vindictive and
prayerless, God may abandon us to heavy
judgment. I am anxious that my
churches should not lose the Christian
in the citizen in the great crisis, and
hence expect to preach to them on the
subject on next Sab. week.

The appointment of your son Philip
was recieved as most gratifying to his
many friends in this Co. Say to Miss
Gray I will answer her letter
soon. Hoping to hear from you soon
or see you in Powhatan. I

Remain your bro. in Christ
Tyree
Gen. Jno. H. Cocke

[docketed: Tyree, Rev. C. ans. 2 May 61 and Do. 8th]

MSS 640