1861 July 29 View Mont [Albemarle County, Va.]

Gen. John H. Cocke,

Dear Sir,

I enclose, at my
sister's request, a copy of the letters you wished.
Hoping they will be safely received, I remain,
Very respectfully,
Lotte Moon

[enclosure follows]

My sister [i.e. Dr. Orianna Moon], having
entered into a temporary engagement with the
medical faculty at the University, has had a
ward assigned to her, and is now there in the discharge
of duties. The urgent demand for the service of
all who had the will and the nerve to witness
and relieve the suffering, rendered it impossible
for her to remain idle. Yeh I am confident,
from having so often heard her express the desire,
that she earnestly wishes to be nearer the scene
of action, and that she will shrink from neither
difficulty nor danger in the discharge of duty.

[page 2]
If any arrangement could be made to that effect I
am sure that she would be much gratified. The
arrangement she has entered into with the surgeons at
the University is only temporary, as she had determined
to make no permanent engagement until she had
heard further from you.

I regret extremely that I can find no copy of
the letters you wished. After looking over her
writing desk, I have reluctantly concluded
that she has either taken them with her,
or destroyed them. My mother will send a
messenger to town with your letter, and I
presume you will receive an answer in a few
days.

Very respectfully,
Lotte Moon.


Dr. Orianna Russell (Moon) Andrews (1834-1883), daughter of a wealthy merchant of Scottsville, Va., was a graduate of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. After obtaining her degree she travelled to the Holy Land to assist her missionary uncle. There she was known as El Hakim (the doctor) by the Bedouins among whom she encouraged basic sanitary measures to reduce the prevalence of eye disease among the children. She returned to the United States shortly before the war. After the battle of Manassas/Bull Run Dr. Moon began working in the general hospital in Charlottesville. Soon after she married one of the Assistant Surgeons, John Summerfield Andrews, whose dying brother she had attended.

Her sister Lottie Moon (1840-1912), was equally well educated, a master of several languages and one of the first Southern women to obtain an M.A. degree. She assisted her widowed mother in running their Scottsville, Virginia, plantation, then taught for a few years before receiving a call to become a missionary. In 1873 she was appointed by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Church to China, where she lived and worked for the remainder of her life.

MSS 640