1862 May 15 Orange Court House, Va.

Orange C H  15 May, 1862

My dear Lucy

I have been wai-
ting with anxiety to hear something
further from you respecting brother
Eugene.  You promised to let me
know when you should hear from
him, & as I have not gotten another
communication from you all
since yours of the 10th, I am rather
afraid that you have not received
any tidings from him.  do let
me know; and if it should appear
that he needs assistance, I shall
hasten to set out to render it.
Before tomorrow, (Fast Day,)  I could
not possibly leave; but after thatn,
I would omit the Sunday's service
if necessary, so as to start 2 days
sooner. I hope, however, that
my anxiety will prove to have been
causeless.  Next week
you know, is the time for meeting
of Convention in Richmond

[page 2]
and I expect to attend it--that is,
if McClellan does not rout us out
of the city, by the 21st.
(I had looked for James McIntire's
name, in the list of casualties of the
19th Va. Regt; & from not seenig[sic] it,
presumed that he was safe, as your
letter  informs me he is, actually.
Did you know any of the killed or
seriously wounded in that Regt?
I am glad to learn that Bennett
Taylor's wound is slight.
You mention that Dr Cabell has
gone to Danville.  Did Mrs Cabell
& Wm Gibbons go with him, or are
they to follow after a while?)
I suppose that Staige's labors are
somewhat lightened by his promotion
to be surgeon of the post.  'Tis pity
for the patients' sake, I imagine,
that he is removed from the wards.
Sister Mary, I hope, escaped the
threatened attack of typhoid fever.
How prevalent that disease is!  Here

[page 3]
-abouts it is often complicated with
pneumonia. Two little girls at
this place are now very ill with it;
(one a daughter of Dr. Edmund Talia
-ferro; the other a daughter of Mr
Alfred Chapman, my neighbor,
at Berry Hill.)
For myself, I am getting
better & stronger in health, than I
have been for a good while. since
James has gone, I have to work in
the garden; and such moderate
exercise suits me admirably.   I
recommend it to you, or any other
health-seeking friend--Cant you
get a sun-bonnet & a light hoe, &
help uncle Claiborne?
Elizabeth & Mary Minor need no
further exercise than they get in the
cooking-room at the hospital, I sup=
pose.  Enclosed they will find
$5. as a donation to their fund....
(WIth love to them, to mother,
Staige, Miss Betty, & all,)  I am

[page 4]
your affectionate brother
Richard T. Davis
P.S. a letter from Chaplain J. C.
Hiden, of the 12th, two days later
than yours, tells me that not tidings
of bro. E. were had, up to that date

MSS 9852, -i, -j