1862 March 19 Lynchburg, Va.

From the diary of William M. Blackford, former diplomat, bank officer, and editor, of Lynchburg, Va., with five sons in the Confederate Army.

Wednesday 19 My old friend Sherr[?] cash
-ier of F.B. Winchester & Mr. Carson Teller
Valley Bank Va and several of their officers
with the funds of their respective banks, reached
town this morning in the canal packet from
below. They are bound for Farmville, where
they will open their banks. they were detain
-ed in Charlottesville near a week & then took
the Scottsville route, which the day the came
left C. a train passed which brought ma
-ny passengers here. We have sad accounts
of the distress of the people in Loudoun
Fauquier, Culpeper, Prince William etc flying
from the enemy. The loss of negroes will
be very great in that region--most of them
have fled to the enemy, who will soon free
& embarras [?] [?] What they are
to do with them is the question--We have
news that Phil Williams, David Barton &
R.Y. Conrad of Winchester, all old friends
of mine, have been arrested and sent to Fort War
-ren--That Brent, cash. of Valley Bank, has
been arrested by Gen Jackson, before he left
W. and was in custody--that Jackson had
fallen back to Mt. Jackson on the north branch
Shenandoah giving up all the valley below
--am from this side of the mountain are
massing at Gordonsville. a letter came from
Charles to Sue, postmarked 12' at Boston, a
post office in the county Rappahannock [?]
the [?] from which it would seem they
were not to take Culpeper CH on their way
but to march through Madison to Gordonsville
--Having learned that She had some [?]
letter of introduction to me, as an [?] would
say, I called in the afternoon upon a Mrs
[?] of Alex, whose husband is Qr. Msr.
at Culpeper, and who has sent her here as to
a place of refuge. She has a striking face &
pleasing manners. She has with her six daugh-
-ters--two of whom grown, and very pretty &
pleasing girls. She wants a house and I must
try to assist her inn getting one--Recd. a tele
-gram from Jane saying she wanted her own
house herself--The drama is hastening
to the 5' act. The denouement will not
be delayed beyond 1' May--See it stated
that the Minnesota had been relieved of her
armament and towed to the River Shore
when she sank--Much indisposed. However
Mary J. read at night in D'Israeli the
quarrel of Boyle and "Slashing Bentley."

MSS 4763