1862 March 6 Greenwood Depot, Albemarle County, Va.

Greenwood Depot, Alb. Co. Va.
March 6th 1862

My Dear Bettie
I was very glad to find
a letter from you awaiting my arrival
this evening. I was very much disturbed, even dis-
gusted, by the late action of the Va legislature,
providing that no new companies shall be rec-
eived, until all the old ones are filled up
to the minimum--one hundred. You can read-
ily imagine how this continued upsetting of
one's plans + prospects harrows one's thoughts +
disturbs the mind; but when I received your
letter + found it so pleasant, although written un-
der such painful circumstances, I cast aside
all troubles + annoyances as those of the
outer man, and turned to those inward + surpassg
joys of the heart, which cannot fail to spring from
sincere affection. If you knew how much pleas-
ure a letter from you affords me, you would
not fail to write often--for my sake alone.
I sympathize sincerely in your sufferings from
the mumps, and had hoped that you would

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escape any very severe pain. If I have the disease
and it serves me as it has done you, when
your dinner comes, I hardly know which will
cause me the most pain, the deprivation of
food, or the writhing + contortion of my face.
The former will be apt to be the source of
more regret. But I ought not to be making
merry over it beforehand, because I feel quite
a stiffness about my lefts jaw, though it may
be caused by cold alone + not by the mumps.
I hope you may soon be well again. You cer-
tainly need have no fears about Richmond
being taken before you leave. If you leave
any time within a month, I am confident
that the enemy will be very little nearer to you
than they are now, but if you wish to leave
at any time, it will afford me the greatest
pleasure to go with you; and I will not fail to
do so, if you will let me know when you wd
like to go.

I am very sorry that Cousin Mollie is both widow-
ed and neglected, but she must not become
seedy nor weedy, for doubtless he has already written
, or has some very good reason for not doing so.
I know that not having heard from her will


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give him more trouble than his neglect will give
her.
You need not have apologized for opening my letter
because I have no secrets from you, and I hope
you will always feel so hereafter. I intended to
leave Mr. Tucker's money with you and, altho'
I though of it several times, I at last forgot
it altogether. You can send word to his father
about it and I will send it to some friend of
his in Richmond, so that he can get it.
I am sorry to say that I have no very bright
hopes in regard to the future. My prospects
are by no means so good as I would wish,
abut I shall not cease to do my best and do
my duty as far as I understand it. After that,
I am perfectly willing to submit to whatever
comes, because these things happen not by chance
but by design. It is very late + I am very
tired else I should write a longer + more interesting
letter perhaps; but I shall have a long ride tomorrow
and must needs come to a close + retire to
rest. I will write again before you leave the
city. Desiring to be kindly remembered to all,
I am,
Fondly Yours
Jas D Dinwiddie

James L. Dinwiddie, 1837-1907, 1st Lieut., Capt. Carrington's Company Virginia Light Artillery (Charlottesville Artillery)


MSS 10102