1862 June 11 Cincinnati, Ohio

                   Cincinnatti, June 11th
My dear Mother,
                                 I avail myself
of a few hours detention here, to
let you hear from us, as I well
know how great your anxiety will
be. Last night, I slept soundly
all night, for the first time for many
nights, indeed I was so exhausted
by the loss of sleep, that I hardly
knew what I was about--But this
good sleep, has entirely refreshed me,
Mary also is well, and we will
go on this afternoon to Cairo, where I
hope to find letters from my husband
telling us what to do.

Now that I am able to take a calmer
view, I can see that I have been un=

[page 2]
necessarily agitated and alarmed,
and that I have acted with more
precipitance than was necessary--
I might have taken more time to make
my arrangements,so as to hear from
Mr Ellet at different points, but I did
the best I could--I had a dreadful fear,
that I was not informed of the extent
of the injury--I received the first in-
telligence through the War Department,
but Mr Ellet's own special despatch
to me, was in some unaccountable
way delayed, until I received through
another telegraphic line, a second
dispatch from him, giving me the
names of different gentlemen on the
route West,to whom I could apply,
if I met with any difficulty on my
journey to join him--This alarmed
me, beyond all self-control, as it con-
firmed me in the supposition, that
he had been more seriously injured,
than had been represented in the mes-

[page 3]
sages which came through the War Depart-
ment, and that he wished me to join
him without delay--I felt that I must
start at once,and though I received af-
terwards his first despatch assuring me
that he was not dangerously hurt--that
he wished me to join him, but impressed
on me the necessity, of taking time to
do everything properly at home, and
to travel slowly. I could not make
up my mind to encounter any delay--
My chief anxiety now, is the effect
this accident may have on his health.
It would be terrible for one of his
temperament to be lame--but
I will not anticipate trouble now--
I feel now as I imagine one might,
who had been condemned to be
executed, and had a respite--for
I did not beleive my husband would
get through this adventure wif with
life--
I hope my children are well and

[page 4]
safely placed--I cannot see that I
could have made any better arrange
ment for them--The house is closed--
one of the men will sleep on the place--
We will write to you as soon as
we get to Cairo, where I hope to
find tidings, and perhaps to meet
Mr. Ellet---
Remember me most kindly
to Mrs. Davenport, and to Mr.
Wainwright=I have just read over
the letters from both of them so as
to understand them--They reached
us as we were starting.  Mary wrote
to Mrs. Davenport from Baltimore,
and I wrote to you from home--I
hope you received the letters, I could not
attend to having them mailed--Mrs.
Davenport's expressions of affectionate
pride in the success of the enterprize
were very gratifying to me--but we
must expect to see  him as much
blamed as praised--I hear there is a
very severe article in one of the

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Western papers, already--
Please save the peices you see
for me--We have missed all
the newspapers.
Mary sends you her best love
she is just about writing to Nina
and Willie--We are
very fortunate in meeting here with
a freind who will see us safely
started in the cars this evening--
at 5 o'clock, and then we will
go straight through to Cairo without
stopping--This little rest, after
travelling two nights on the cars,
is very refreshing--
I hope you are quite recovered,
dear Mother, from the effects
of this great excitement, and hope
I may find a letter from you at Cairo--
                    Most affectionately yours
                                         E S Ellet
In looking over Mr. Wainwright's
letter, I observe that he asked me to
answer it promptly--When I received it
I merely ran over it, sufficiently to ap-
preciate its kind & congratulatory tone,
and cordial offer to assist me in any
way, but I felt as if he would hear
of all my arrangements, as promptly
through our letters to you & Mrs. Davenport,
as from a direct letter--I will take
it to Mr. Ellet

Elvira Ellet, wife of Union commander Edward Ellet,Jr.

MSS 276
very severe