My dear Mother
I anticipate
by a day or two the letter I should in
regular course write home, to indicate
to day my respect for and affectionate com-
memoration of your birth-day by choosing fully
a time to write you a special letter.
I scarcely know any way in which I could
shew my appreciation of the anniversary
that would be likely to afford you as much
satisfaction. I give you the assurance
of my hearty prayers that God may send
you many happy returns of this Day, and
the light of the everlasting Gospel contin-
ually to illumine the successive years
that shall be marked by its recurrence.
This too is Chas. L. G. Minor's birth-day
--his 26th, I believe
The hand book sent from Lynchburg
to me by Express did not reach Winchester
until Tuesday noon, of last week, but not
withstanding arrived in due time, as their
[page 2]
was no express conveyance from Strasburg
up, from Saturday until Tuesday. It
was Tuesday morning that I wrote the
letter to father saying the trunk had
not arrived. I saw it at the Office
Wednesday evening and got it out here
next day. I ought to have written to
acknowledge the trunk immediately, but was
daily expecting a letter from home which
I was waiting to answer. Everything in
the trunk was in safely. the ginger cakes
were consumed with avidity and were gone
before night--many mouths being at work
on them. the bed-tick was just the
thing, and makes Berkeley's rest & mine at
night really luxurious. The pants too were
very acceptable and came in good time.
Nothing however was better timed than the
undershirts. The others I had were much
worn and withal to thin for winter.
I have just put them by for spring & summer
time, and am wearing the thick ones
instead. I use great economy in my
dress, and think now I shall have to buy
[page 3]
little or none more during this term of
enlistment. I think I am now in every
respect as comfortable as you would desire
me to be, at least about as much so
as wool can make me. I have the pru-
dence withal not to use all my resources
as yet, but keep in reserve some arti-
cles of dress and covering which I find I
do not yet need. As yet I have suf-
fered but very little with cold, though
I fear it would be far otherwise if we
were not so fortunate as to have in
our tent the excellent stove furnished
by Mrs. Boyd, of which I spoke in my last.
The live we now lead is a lazy one
enough, even more so than we have
generally found it in camp. It would
be an insufferable life to me, in res-
pect of its monotony and inactivity,
but for the fact that my associates
are so congenial and agreeable. This
I say of the time spent in camp: the
position we have here, considering its nearness
to Winchester, is on the whole considered by all highly agreeable
[page 4]
We have engaged in our mess during the
last 10 days an excellent servant. His chief
function is cooking, but he serves us in
other matters, and by his presence we find
our comfort greatly advanced. He is a
most aristocratic looking free-negro from
Hardy co., and rejoices in the intensely
Hebrew cognomen of Israel. His dress is
ordinarily better than that of the men
he waits upon; albeit his demeanor
is deferential as his efficiency is satisfactory.
His only fault is such a degree of mis-
placed activity as generally gives us dinner
before non and super an hour before
dark. Since we have been here we
have most frequently had bread rations
instead of flour, a very agreeable
change for us and a material saving
to all cooks, to whom bread, making
is always the bug-bear. The bread
is well baked and pretty good and is
doubtless more wholesome for us than
the bread we make ourselves, albeit
our camp health has not been apparently effected by it.
[page 5]
Our time has been, since my last wri-
ting totally without incident in a mil-
itary way. At the same time the im-
pression in regard to our future course
is unchanged, viz, that as soon as
adequate reinforcement arrive we will
be ordered to Romney. As to the coming
of these troops--of which it is said
we need some 2000--we [barely?] seem
advised. Our movements are thus to-
tally uncertain as you readily see-
I have been enjoying the sojourn near
Winchester greatly, having extended my
acquaintance since my last writing &
cultivated that of the friends already
formed. The hospitality and kindness
of the good people have made a
conquest of my heart, so that I believe
my enthusiasm in the good cause in which
we are all engaged is heightened, if pos-
sible since I came to the valley. There are
a few tories among the lower orders in
Winchester, but the people generally, and those
of the better class wholly, are very loyal
[page 6]
The case of Mason & Slidell attracts much
remark and many surmises here. Great
sympathy is felt for Mr M's family who
are particularly devoted to him. Mrs. M
is much depressed, I am told, though the
younger members of the family try and
keep up in order to sustain the mother.
You may judge of Mr. Mason's devotion
to his family from the fact that during
20 or 25 years of public life, when sepa-
rated from his wife it was his invari-
able custom to write to her every day
This David Barbour, who knows the family
well was assured of by Mrs. M. herself.
The infamous threats of the Northern
press in reference to visiting upon the
heads of our Commissioners the retalia-
tion our Government following the ex-
ample of Washington, has taken upon
Corcoran & others, give additional poig-
nancy to the grief of the Masons about
Mr. M's imprisonment I, for one, am san-
guine that out of the conduct of Capt.
Wilkes will accrue great benefit to
[page 7]
our cause, if not actually a war be-
tween England & Lincoln soon-which may
God send! The whole question of inter-
national law involved int this affair
possesses a strong interest for me.
There has been in Winchester for
some days a protracted meeting, with
preaching twice daily, going on in the
N.S. Presbyterian Church (Rev. A. H. H. Boyd, D D)
The great attraction is the preaching
of the Rev. Dr Styles, late of Brooklyn
N.Y.--or rather of New Haven, in Connecticut.
This gentleman is a native of Ga. &
came South when that state seceded.
He is now professor elect in the N.S.
Theo. Sem., but at present is engaged
as a travelling missionary. He has been
preaching a great deal in the army
of the Potomac. In the C.S. service he
has 3 sons; his wife & daughter are in N.Y.
I went Thursday morning to hear Dr. S. and
was much edified. (He is a man of
great power) & originality, and wonder-
fully gifted as a preacher of the truth
[page 8]
Sunday night he preached his masterpiece
- a sermon on the Last Judgment I could
not get to hear him myself, but hear
his discourse spoken of as wonderfully
fine- I expect to go in to hear him
to morrow morning. He is 65 yrs old
& yet preaches twice daily--from one
to two hours at a time--for a week
and more at a time without failing.
Tell Cousin Betty Blackford of my hear-
ing and liking so well the great gun
of her church.
I should like very much to hear
something of Lewis. I do not even know
whether he holds a commission, or
whether his occupation s are what
they were in the summer. He has
never written to me, and I suppose
never will, though I hope you will
keep him advised of my whereabouts
and well being and me of his, as well
as that of the other members of the
family. I hear bro. Chas is at Leesburg
and wd. like to know more of him.
[page 9]
I am now living in a tent with five
others, and enjoying as much comfort
in every respect as a private could
expect. My tent-mates are Berkeley
Minor, Charles Minor, of Albemarle, Davis
Barbour, Holmes Boyd & Randolph Fairfax
I believe I could not suit myself better
if I had the pick of the company.
The Minors you know. Barbour is a really
fine fellow, and one whose adoption
as a friend I have tried before during
consecutive years at the University. Boyd
I never knew as well at College, but
was always fond of, and never apprecia-
ted more highly than now. Fairfax
I have
He is one of my greatest favourites
in the co. (or any where else, for that mat-
ter) and every how a charming fellow.
He is small of stature but of singu-
larly good proportions, and strikingly
handsome: the general favourite of
his set, and indeed of all who know
him in the company
[page 10]
Please say to father that I called last
week at Mr Sherard's house, but un-
fortunately found the ladies out. I went
to see Jno. S. in the bank and through
him made a draft of $10.00 on father
which ere this I suppose has come
in I shall call again.
Robert Fisher (son of Mr. Geo. Fisher
of Richmond,)of the 5th Va. Regt. has
been for some weeks ill of Ty-
phoid Fever. His father and Sister,
Miss Mary, are here with him. Robt.
became too ill to be moved before
he was sound out by friends in town
On this account he is now lying
in a common boarding house, in a
small room not well suited to an
invalid. I called to see him last
week but found him too ill to see me
Tell Sister Sue of her cousin's sickness
Miss Mary Fisher is staying at Mrs
Powell's--the mother of Mrs Colston.
I visit at Mrs. P.'s and have been
treated there with great kindness.
[page 11]
I wish father would consider the ques
tion of running up for a few days
to Winchester this winter during our so
journ here. I think he would find
the visit a very agreeable one, for
he has many friends here who wd
be glad to see & entertain him.
He might leave Lynchburg in the
morning and reach Winchester the
same day at midnight. The whole
distance may be travelled by RR
except the 18 miles by pike from
Strasburg, which is an excellent
road, and rather an agreeable change
I have written this letter
with numberless interruptions
and am conscious it must appear
somewhat incoherent. I have to
write as I can, however.
My love to Mary & to Sis Sue & family
Kind regards to the servants--especially
Peggy--Your affectionate Son
L.M. Blackford
MSS 5508
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