1861 Dec[ember] 10 Lynchburg

My Dear Sister

I was very much gratified a few days
since by the perusal of your letter of the 18th Ult to Martha
which had been forwarded to Margaret and by her
handed to me. It contains the first intelligence I have
had from or about you all since your letter to me
of the 17th of August. I will send this to Mr Bouldin
who is now in Richmond attending the Legislature in
the hope that he may then find out some channel
through which it may reach you. I have hitherto
made no effort to send an answer to your letter
of August being under the impression that there
was no mode open of conducting a correspondence
with you--the arrival of your letter of the 18th
ult justifies the hope that we many hereafter
occasionally hear from each other, and I assure you I shall
most gladly avail myself of every channel that
seems to offer a reasonable prospect for the inter
change of letters between us.

Immediately on receiving your letter of August I wrote
to Mr Powell of Richmond requesting him to inform
me, if he could, of the whereabouts of Miss Vassas in
order that I might communicate to her the contents
of your letter relating to her affairs. He answered
my letter promptly stating that Miss Vassas had
recently gone to Columbia S Carolina and had

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then attached herself to the Ursuline Convent-and
was now to be addressed as Madame Caroline--
A few days after receiving his letter I wrote to her
at Columbia informing her of the receipt of
your letter and giving her a full account of
all in it relating to her. I have received no answer
from her and do not know therefore whether she
has ever received my letter. Perhaps you may
be able to find out some means in Washington
of corresponding with her--I saw her last in Rich-
mond during the last illness and a short-time before
the death of her Mother--She seemed very much
absorbed in the cares and solicitudes natural to
the occasion--She yet however made many enquiries
about you and Mary and spoke of you all with
great affection. I hope that ere long you may be able
to get letters to and from her.

About the date of my last letter John was I think just
recovering from his wounds received int he battle of the
12st July About the 20th of October he had entirely recovered
his health and strength and returned to join the
Rifle Grays of this place having been tendered
by the company the post of second Lieut-which
he accepted--his office of Lieut in the Provisional
army which he held at the time of the battle of
Manassas having expired by the ordinance of the
Convention on the first of Sept. We hear from him
very often--his health continues good and he
he[sic] has sustained no permanent lameness or other

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injury from his wounds--From all we can learn he is
popular with his Corps and is giving entire satisfaction
in his new command. He has been repeatedly selected
as the Judge Advocate to the Court of his regiment
a post which from the nature of its duties must as
I should suppose call fro the exercise of no
little judgement observation and firmness--and
his repeated appointment would seem to indicate
that he enjoys the confidence and esteem of
his associate officers, and is doubtless a high
compliment to so young an officer. He is just 19 years
of age--In a recent letter he spoke of you all with
much affection and playfully suggested that we
should cut our way to Georgetown by Christmas and
spend the holidays with you at Clifton. Stuart and
Joseph are near him--in the vicinity of Centreville--
as also his Uncle Abraham Warnick[?] --at last ac
counts they were all well.

Martha has been through a great deal of anxiety
and distress of mind this autumn--her family white
and black having been visited with the Dyptheria.
Several of her children had it quite severely but
they have all now recovered. A number of the servants
suffered severely from it and in two instances--
a negro woman and a girl nearly grown, it
proved fatal. If I can arrange my business in time
I hope to pay her a short visit between this
and the 5th of Jany--the day for the reassembling
of my court in Richmond---

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Margaret about two weeks since gave birth to a fine
son who rejoices in the name of William Cabell Brown.
I see her or hear from her nearly every day. She
is doing remarkably well and is rapidly recovering
her strength. Her school is prospering as well, as could
be reasonably hoped in such troubled times.

Mrs. Cabell is with us and has been with us since May.
She enjoys excellent health and spirits for a lady
of her advanced age. Richmond is now excessively
crowded and it is extremely difficult to procure
accommodations suitable for a private family--and
she and Elizabeth have I think pretty well concluded
to remain here during the winter. Mr Wirt Cabell
will probably come up before I leave to stay with them
in my absence. They hear frequently from Grattan and
Coalter the former of whom is now a Major of Cavalry
and the letter a Lieut of it Colonel of Artillery.

I have given you I believe the news of the family and
as I do not know whether my letter will be allowed
to pass otherwise than open I can add at present
little more than, the assurance of a brothers love
and devotion unabated by anything that has
grown out of the political separation and
alienation of our homes, and the expression
of the hope that we may ere long be allowed
to enjoy again the fine indulgence of those affections
that nothing can ever chill or waken.

My love to all the family. Write to me when you can.
Most affectionately your brother

Wm. Daniel, Jr.

MSS 276