1861 August 19 Belmead [Powhatan County, Va.]

My dear Father

Your letter by Thursdays
packet together with package of Turnip seed
was safely received for which accept
my best thanks. The small package for
Mr Tyree I sent him friday morning
But we were prevented in consequence
of the rain from attending Prayer Meeting
on friday afternoon as we intended.

We have all continued quite well since
you left us but have missed Charley
& Courtney from our number I hope
it will not be very long before you
bring them back to us.

I had two letters from Mr Cocke during
last week himself & John were well tho
much sickness existed in the surrounding
camps & he had removed his Hdqtrs
back to Centerville. Said both Armies were
making preparations for another attack
which could not take place perhaps before

[page 2]
Sept. Philip Cabell had arrived there
He also mentions having found our
young relative Dan'l Coleman a private
in one of the North Alabama Regiments
& had appointed him one of his volunteer
aids found him intelligent active &
efficient & Mr Robt Saunders of
Moile was also with him. The
boxes had been received in a very
damaged condition having been
injured at Manassas & also detained
in Richmond. I hope Lucys box
will hare a better fate.

We have here fine & abundent rains
which of course has put an end to
wheat threshing for the whole of this week
but the ground is in fine order for
fallowing of which Talbott has already
done a a fair portion of the season.
He will send wheat bags up as directed when
an opportunity presents itself.

We were agreeably surprised by the
arrival of our kind Aunt Mary last
Sat morning bad as the weather was She
is very much crushed & depressed in spirits

[page 3]
besides being very feeble & indisposed
but a few weeks respite from harassing
cares will I trust revive her drooping
spirits. Uncle Cary remains in Norfolk
I hope you will come down & see her shortly
she is watching an opportunity to get to
Frederick if possible to her Daughter
now very delicate. But I think she will
scarcely accomplish it. Mr Wren came
up on Thursday morning & spent the day
& [?] returned with him to spend a week
St. Julien Wilson went to Ric per[?] railroad
this morning to see his father who is in the
City on business & St George accompanied
him they will return again on Wednesday

Our Boys seem to think they would prefer
going to a boarding school to becoming
pupils in a private family to a Tutor
[?][?] has even suggested himself
in a recent letter [to] our friend Mr Harrisons

I thank perhaps it would be as good a plan
as any to send them to him in Octr. but of
course no definite steps need be taken
until after conferring again with you
& my Husband also through letters

[page 4]
Tell Charley & Courtney they must write
to me. My Bremo correspondents still
owe me letters. Mr Cocke continues
to improve & talks of leaving us.
[?] sick [?] earlier if he [?] any
thing urgent is going on at HdQrts.

Our whole household unite with me
in affectionate love to you & our friends
at Bremo. I hope to hear again from
you soon.

Yours very truly
C[ourtney] B[owdoin] Cocke

The letter is written to her father-in-law and former guardian Genl. John H. Cocke.

MSS 640