1862 March 24 Goochland County, Va.

The Island March 24th/62 (Monday Morning)

Monday Morning has at last come my own beloved Husband and I again
write to let you hear from me I received your dear letter saturday evening & was
a little comforted by it but I am still very uneasy about your substitute.
I trust to hear you are safe by tomorrows mail--I have not been able
to sleep a single night since I left you what with my anxiety, and
seperation from you & my cold which has been very annoying-we went
to church yesterday to hear the new minister (Mr. Mortimer) who I dont
think particularly interesting from the discourse I heard yesterday
His explanations seemed so trite & common place so wanting in every
thing spiritual that even I, ignorant as I know I am, of all those
beautiful truths you have tried to teach me felt as if I had seen a light
which had not yet been revealed to him. What a hopeless task to explain
even one single text from the Bible according to its natural sense
alone & how elevated does the spiritual sense appear when contrasted
with it.--But you have doubtless felt all this & a great deal more
because you know so much more about it--

I saw a good many of the neighbors who seemed very glad to welcome me
back & all inquired particularly after you--to day I am going down to
B. Hall & will return this evening--Everybody about here looks very
uneasy & are thinking where they will go, as it is currently reported
that all the country north of James River will be given up--the
neighborhood is full of refugees & we hear daily of large caravans
crossing at Centreville & going Southward--Tommy has not heard
yet whether his name was in the militia roll but is going to
inquire this morning & I will tell him to let you hear the
result--He is waiting now & I will have to close hurriedly
I still intend going to Rd tomorrow morning & expect Tommy
will go down with me--I cant telly you how I dread the trip
especially the time I shall spend with the Dentist without
your being near to comfort & sustain me during my sufferings
but I shall be too thankful when all is over & I can go
back to my little haven of rest--[?] is quite sick today
with one of her headaches--Tommy sends his love & will
write--

[page 2]
a line when he hears what was done last Saturday at the
C.H. as he told Mr. Hobson if his name was on the militia roll
to put it on his instead--Goodbye now my ever blessed Hus
band & may God in his mercy spare you to me is the
constant prayer of your devoted wife
JCB Cabell
Remember me to yr father---


[in another hand]
Mr. Cabell
Dr Sir I have been up to Mr Hobson
but he was not at home, so I do not know any thing
about the matter. I write this to let you [know] as

sister desired, but I expect to go any how but
I dont like to let her know it. Good bye & if
I should never see you again I hope your
will not forget: T.B.J.

MSS 38-111



Philip Barraud Cabell, 1836-1904, nephew of General Philip St. George Cocke and grandson of General John Harwell Cocke, was one of the few antebellum students at the University of Virginia to obtain a master's degree. After the war he was a professor at Urbana University in Ohio, and later a minister of a Swedenborgian church in Wilmington Delaware. His wife Julia Calvert Bolling Cabell known as "Pinkie", had been a popular Virginia belle before their marriage the previous year.