1862 April 18 Nelson County, Va.

April 18th 1862
Dear Grandpa (General John Hartwell Cocke)
Yours of the 15th inst came
duly t hand--I have not been able
as yet to get the other shoe soled as
the man who made them lives over
in Buckingham & some distance
off.  Between ow & Monday, however
I will try & make a pair for you
myself--as near as possible the
ones I saw--
I entirely agree with you in regard
to the good & evil of this war.  I
doubt not we shall come out
of it a purified as well as a
powerful nation--And to our
enemies it must be ruin,though
as they are the Lord's creatures
as well as we, it cannot be
doubted that He will punish
them too in his mercy for all
the iniquity & injustice which
they have committed.

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I heard indirectly the other
day that the government agents
had pressed your riding mare
into the service & some of your
mules.  I would not on any
account have you to inconvenience
yourself by allowing me to retain
the young horses if they would be
of any service to you.  One of them
rides very well & I think has
qualities which would  suit you
very well.  The other is now a
fine work horse & has made
himself important here, tho" I
can spare him if you are put to
it for team--He was the wild one
but is now so thoroughly broke
that we have driven him in our
carriage--If you will write me
by the next boat whether you
want them I will send one or
both, at once.

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I shall not be done planting corn until
some weeks in May--not having com-
menced as yet.  I am well up in
my fencing ditching & other hard labor
but have some plowing to do--& all
my land to harrow for corn--I started
an ox team at the latter to-day
& have all my farm-pen manure
to haul out & a good deal of my
hogpen--I think I shall have
considerably over a hundred loads of
the latter & whenever it is applied
the land is made--
We are all well here now.  when
we heard last from Norwood, no one
was complaining--Pink is writing
to Aunt Sally & her letter will
go with this--The children will
soon go down to Aunt Sally to remain, at least
for some time--
You have no doubt heard f the
death of Dr. Gessner Harrison--His
remains were taken over to the University,

[page 4]
to-day--His illness was short & his
death attributed very much to a
depressed state of mind on account
of his pecuniary affairs--
My willow cuttings are all
budding finely--I find we have
at least one of the prolific
mulberrys living--which my
mother planted -last
Present  us all affectionately to
our friends at Bremo & Recess
Being overseer now I do not
know when I can see you all--
Can you not come up to see us
some time soon?

Your affectionate grandson
P. B. Cabell

Genl J. H. Cocke


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. 

Gessner Harrison was the fifth student to register at the University in the opening session of 1825. At that time he amazed Professor George Long by the knowledge displayed on his entrance examination. Dutiful as well as brilliant, Harrison had promised his father to observe the Sabbath strictly. When Thomas Jefferson invited him to a Sunday dinner for students at Monticello, Harrison politely declined. Upon learning the reason, Jefferson commended such filial piety and extended the invitation for another day.

Three years later Harrison graduated in Greek and medicine. Long, who wished to return to England, recommended Harrison as his successor pointing out that the Visitors should "not find it necessary to apply to England for that which they already possess." They agreed, and the twenty-two year old was elected Professor of Ancient Languages.

Harrison remained on the faculty until 1859. In a life devoted to education he taught classical languages for over thirty years, served as chairman of the faculty five times, achieved a high reputation as a classical scholar throughout the South, and in addition, conducted a Sunday school for local slaves. When he resigned to found his own classical preparatory academy, the faculty formally resolved that "he had done more than any other man for the cause of education and sound learning in his native state." The students presented him with a silver pitcher still used at Library events.

MSS 640