1862 May 15 Fall Hill near Fredericksburg, Va.

Fall Hill  May 15th
1862
Dear Will[?]
Your letter reached me
to-day.  We were much pleased to
hear from Cellie & yourself.
Mother wrote you a long letter
some days since, which I hope
has reached you before this.
The fact of my arrest you
saw int he papers was true--
I was arrested on Negro evidences
and confined ten days but
was discharged as there was no
proof that I was a spy.
I am thankful for the inquiries
afte rmy health.  I am very well
except a bad cold contracted in
Prison...Mother Father & Sister are
at Fall Hill "The others are all gone."
Father's health is very infirm.
His eyes are failing him and
are a sore trial to him

[page 2]
As for my treatment in Prison
I have nothing to say at present.
I can only hope a similar fate
may never be yours. The scar=
let fever has rage in Fbg
this Spring. The mortality has been
fearful. "War and pestilence" we
have had, but not famine.
Our Friends have lost none
of their children as yet. But
I know not what a day may
bring forth.  Every day we
hear of some Friend who has
been shot on Picket duty, no
doubt but vice versa is true also.
Spring with all its beauty has
burst upon us. From my win=
dow is a panorama of four=
teen miles of the Rappahannock
Valley as fair as T[?], the
only blot, the hostile tents, that
mar the beauty.

[page 3]
But all this beauty seems a mockery
to me now.  Flowers and natural
beauties all seem melancholy.
In confinement a bouquet was
sent me, but it seemed to taunt
me with my freedom and I sent
it off.---------------------------
How is dear little Emeline.
Only last night we were
speaking of her & wishing to see her...
Dr. Hackley sent your letters to
Cousin A. who sent them to us.
How is your Class this Spring?
Much love to Cellie and a
kiss to the Baby
Write soon to your
Aff Brother
D. S. Forbes

[page 4]
Dave has handed me this sheet
my beloved Brother to add
something I scarcely know what
to write & oh if we could meet &
talk over matters.  I suppose it
will be along while before we
three do so. A poor afflicted
people bowed down with
care and anxiety.  All gone
we know not where even Tem
ple, who was at the Institute, our
poor dear old Father almost
given up. god in his infinite
mercy will permit us to see &
feel the good that is to result
from this. We have to watch
Papa like a child almost,
tho' he bears the loss of earthly
things better than any one I know
of, he says his days are nearly
run and were it not for his
children he would resign all
that he has, he seems to long
for those loved ones every
day more, Ma and he were
greatly distressed at Dave's being
arrested.  Ma looks badly, We
were much pleased to hear
from you today, we frequently
wonder how your precious little
Em is doing if she talks as sweetly

[in margins on page 1]
as Bessie who calls me Miss  [?] She has just been in
where I am writing for me to hide her from her
Nurse, she is a
great comfort to
us in our hour of
misery and trou
ble. Every thing
around us is so
beautiful, only
man is vile, the
Birds are more
numerous than
I have ever
known them to
be. I have a splen
did mockingbird
& sometimes I en
joy it exceeding
ly though again it
makes me so sad
and home sick I am compelled to put it out of the
way Our love to dearest Cellie tell her to write Ma &

[in left hand margin of page 2]
Bessie with Papa join me in love to you
Your attached
Sister

Dr. William Forbes of Philadelphia was separated from his Fredericksburg, Va., family by the war.

MSS 15127