1861 Septemb[er] 22 Camp near Fairfax C. H.

My dearest Wife:

Your letter of Friday has just been handed
me & gave me much pleasure by the intelligence con-
tained in it so favorable to yourself & Richard. I trust
that you[r] neuralgia may not return & that our dear
brother may soon be quite well again. Tell Dick
I gave Lieut. Fleming his paper & he promised
to attend to the business for him. The paymaster
had not visited the troop & at this time has gone
to Richmond to replenish his empty pockets--Mr. F.
promised to send me Richard's money as soon as he
got it if the paymaster came before I left for home
If otherwise, he will send it by the first opportunity.
I have gotten as much money now as I shall want
from Joseph who seems to have his pockets full--you
can get what you want from Dick & I will pay him
when I see him--
Uncle P. this morning sent in resignation to the
war department & for his sake I am glad of it. He
has served his country faithfully & disinterestedly,
has submitted to indignities & neglect which no other

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military man would stand and I think is per-
fectly justifiable in going home & serving her in a
private Capacity--His resignation may be answered
by a Brigadiers Commission, but I doubt it. Don't
say anything about this until the thing is made public
which may never be. Uncle P. seems to be in rather
low spirits & I think I had better remain with
him until his resignation takes effect if it is not
many days after the time I appointed to meet
you at home--It shall not detain me many days
however & may perhaps let me off sooner--
This cool cloudy weather makes fire quite comfort-
able here & reminds us that the cold cheerless win-
=ter will soon be upon us. How much suffering is
in store for these two America peoples, especially
for our vile & malignant enemies. Perhaps the
Lord by permitting weeping & wailing among them
may turn their "gnashing of teeth" upon themselves.
But we must all suffer to make us look to Him
for aid & whenever we stand in the way of His Providen-
=ces. There is nothing now can prevent this from
being a long & bloody war but some miraculous
interposition of Providence. And I believe it will
come sooner than is generally believed if it is for good.

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I am happy to tell you that my valued little friend
Tafel is almosat well having cured himself by his
own treatment--I rode all the way to Manassas
yesterday to see him not having seen him the day
I came down--It is really beautiful to see how
he preserves unspotted, among the wretches he
is obliged to associate with, the purity of his heart
& of the New Church truths with which his mind
is well stored--He has fully & from principle
cast his lot with us & so long as I live Tafel
shall never want a friend. By the way one of
the men in the same company who was taken
sick since Tafel is now nearly dead under the
treatment of the regular physician. He, Tafel, was
pronounced to have strong symptoms of typhoid
fever by the medical director, but has never lost
his strength at all having taken as he said in
his peculiar accent "only a little pulsatilla and
a few grains of rhubarb after he was nearly well
already". The latter was by my advice when I
saw him, tho' he wouldn't touch it until he was almost
recovered.

Every thing is perfectly quiet at the seat of war
I do not much like the news from the west tho'

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I am sure all will be right there too--by the
end of the Campaign.

I have heard nothing from home since I left
there though that has been nearly two weeks. I
suppose they do not write being under the im-
pression that their letters would not get through--

I am going to write home to day--Sister went
with William on his way to the Springs as far
as Lynchburg where she now is with Mrs. Brown
The school there opened on the 15th. I have not
heard with what success--

Dr. Harrison's school opened with 3 scholars!
goodbye now Dinner is nearly ready. I shall
direct my next letter to Bolling Island--
May God our Lord Jesus protect & keep you
Prays your Own loving Husband
P[hilip] B[arraud] C[abell]

refers to the resignation of Philip St. George Cocke.
Cabell refers to the New Church or the New Jerusalem Church, a church following the principles of Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (1668-1772), to which many of the Cabell family belonged.

MSS 38-111