1862 February 7 [Lynchburg, Va.]

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, former diplomat, bank officer, editor, and postmaster, Lynchburg, Va., with 5 sons in the Confederate Army]

Day mile but not bright atmosphere char
-ged with vapor and highly favorable to the [?]
of [?] [?] Long letter from Lanty to
his sister. They are now encamped 5 miles from
Winchester and are building huts. He speaks
of his tent or mess mates with great enthusiasm
two of them, William & Barton, are sons of old
and early friends--He lauds also a servant who
ia a great comfort to them--Wrote to G. B. Lamar
of Savannah, about some bonds & stock James
Morrow has in the South, the interest and divi-
dends of which he gives to Loreena[?] and Mary. I
see little possibility of getting anything. Charles
Slaughter is very ill. They telegraphed to Staige
to come over--I suppose he did not get the dis-
patch in time to enable him to take the cars--No
man would be missed or mourned more than
Charles. He had just been left with Sam Garland
secondary legatee of his uncle's estate, of which his
share would probably have been 225,000$ The
dissentions which grew out of it & the threat of
the widow to set aside the provision made for her
and other harrassing cares of business, it is thought
were the proximate causes of the attack. He is
a noble hearted fellow and I shall most severely
regret his death. Recd letter from Lucius, written in
an excited strain, complaining of his brother having
left what he did leave to him in trust. Poor fellow!
from the little aptitude he has shown in the manage
ment of his affairs & from his present embarrassment
it was very wise, I think, on John not to give it
to him unrestricted I filed an application to
day for a life insurance 1500$ I have been looking
for Dr. Owen for several says to get him to [?] [?]
I cannot afford a large sum--Letter from D. Jno
Minor, who says John talked to him about a year
ago of his disposition of his property and said he had ex
plained the matter to Lewis, why he gave him no
thing. am pretty confident Lewis will not re-
ceive any thing. It is time I had a letter from
him in answer to mine sending a copy of the will

MSS 4763