1861 December [19?] Clifton House Richmond

[By internal evidence this letter could not have been written earlier than the 19th.

Dear Willie
I have only a few
moments in which to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter containing the
Genl's, and to give you a slight idea
of Richmond, the Clifton and the
Beaux We left the Hill Monday
morning attended by Major Banks
and Mr Old a very nice fellow by the
by and an Q M, these two gentlemen
entertained us until we got to Gordons
-ville where we changed cards and
met on the platform Willie Robinson
& Harry Sullivan, we had a short
confab with them and then proceeded
on our way rejoicing & reached R.
at about six oclock in the evening
Arrived at the door of the Clifton
we were amazed at the gloomy pros-
pect of that renowned house, and
were not at all cheered when we
were ushered into our apartment, you
will not be surprised when I tell
you that four walls, four bedposts, a
bare floor and a dense cloud of the
most horribly smelling coal-smoke
was all that greeted our astonished
eyes--Mr Goss although he had promised
Aunt Mary faithfully to have our
room ready, was not at all

[page 2]
prepared for our advent, and we
were thankful to get a bed to sleep
on--Since that time our room has
received the additional elegancies
of a small remnant of carpet in the
middle of the floor, a pitcher &
basin in the our window-sill (a very in-
convenient place by the by as the room
is on the ground floor and there are
no curtains) a small glass three
by four inches in size on the other
window-sill, and a rocking chair of
the kind that endangers one's nose if
they you are not particularly well balanced,
we are promised a bureau, and a
gas-jet, and these will complete
the elegant appointments of our
luxurious chamber--a good many
people called that night but we
did not sit up late as we were
very much fatigued by our day's
travel. On Sunday morning directly
after breakfast, which allow me to
say, par parenthèse was a very
good one for the living is excellent,
we entered the parlor a most
charming room at all times, but
especially now that it is divested
of all furniture save a piano
which I am sure was the one
taken out of the Ark, and
remained in it all the morning
receiving scores of visitors, ladies
and gentlemen --among them
several Maryland men.

[page 3]
After dinner we took a short
stroll and bought some [?]
to wear to the concert to be given
that night for the benefit of
The Richmond Volunteers. we got
home in time to dress and then
started for the concert having
as escort eleven gentlemen
we each (Con, Het and myself)
took two arms, and the rest
knocked around generally. We
got in very late and the gentlemen
got us very conspicuous seats in
the gallery, you may imagine
we created a sensation, it
being our first appearance in
Richmond, and having such
a number of gentlemen making
such a brilliant entree, by the
time we were seated every lorgnette
in the house was levelled at us--
They say that we struck terror into
the hearts of the belles of Richmond.
Wednesday morning was spent
receiving visitors, I can give you
no idea of the number, they
came in shoals until eleven at
night--
Thursday was passed in
the same way, except that at night
we went to the concert given for the
Md.V. we had a crowd of gentlemen
with us as usual and came home
to a little supper which Major
Banks gave to the Cary Invincibles,
and sent round from a restaurant

[page 4]
it was a very elegant affair and
was honored by the presence of
the celebrated Genl McCullough
and his staff officers, also a
great many other grandees--Today
we intended going out shopping
but were obliged to stay in to receive
Mrs Genl Johnston who sent up
word that she was coming, she is
a very charming woman and paid
us quite a long visit, of course we
have had our usual levee-dont
be surprised at this letter it has
been written in little scraps of
time--What do you think of Ma's
last letter? Het has written to
request permission to stay and
spend the winter--I don't know
what I shall do, at any rate I shall
wait for Ma to write again before
I decide. I dont like to leave Het
here by herself-and I dont want
to separate myself so entirely from
you boys--Tonight we are invited
to spend a sociable evening at
Cousin Caryanne's I expect it will
be rather stupid, but it will at least
be a comfort to be in a decent house
again. Mr Banks told us that he
would see about and arrange our
writing business today, and I suppose
we will fairly begin on it the first
of next week--Excuse this letter
but Albert & Dr. Carew are sitting
by me making so much fuss

[page 5]
that I really dont know what I
am saying. You did not tell me
what you thought of my letter
to Beauregard or his to me.
Imagine me on the top of
the Washington Monument--What
do you think of the news from
England? Is it not glorious?
People here think that peace will
soon be declared--Mrs. Genl Johnston
received in a trunk which was sent
her from Baltimore a small
bundle for Sister Hettie containing
her Zouave jacket, and the small
package and note for you, which
I send you by Mr Banks--You
will have to write a short note
of thanks to Alice and send it
in your next letter to Ma--it
would gratify her so much-
Jim Clarke, John Hull, George
Thomas and a host of other
Marylanders are here and we
see them constantly--Write to

[page 6]
us soon and tell me every
thing that you said and every
thing that Genl B. said when
you presented my flag--Mrs
Barbour intends calling on us
so Mr Banks says very soon--
I am so glad you have recovered
your carpet bag--I cant write
any more for the parlor is
full and I must give this
to Mr Banks to night--
Good bye, best love to
Johnnie-
Your devoted sister
Jennie Cary


Jennie Cary, her sister Hettie Cary and their cousin Constance Cary were known as the Cary Invincibles. They did sew the first Confederate battleflags as related above and in previous letters which they presented to Confederate Generals Johnston, Beauregard and Van Dorn. Hettie eventually married Confederate general John Pegram.
MSS 1415