1862 June 19 Philadelphia, Pa.

                   Philadelphia  June 19th 1862
My dear grandaughter
                   Your cousin Sally has kindly
permitted me to enclose a note to you in
her pretty little letter, allso the likeness of
your cousin Libby[?] sent to you by your
Aunt Lydia. since your dear Mother
and sister left you, and your darling brother,
to join you beloved Father, I have thought
much and often of you both, but have not
been informed how to address you, even if my
health and stren[g]th would have permitted me
to write, when the news of the great and
glorious victory obtained by the bravery of
your valient Father, and Uncle reached me
my nervous system was completely prostrated
and my stren[g]th gave way prostra[t]ing me on a
bed of sickness.  I am now better, and embrace
the earliest opportunity of my recovery to write to

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to you my dear Nina, I receive letters dayly
from your beloved Father, an[d] Uncle the last
dated on the 13th inst. says that he is
better, and hopes are entertained now that he
will soon recover from his injury, your brother
on that day had gone to Cairo to bring your
mother, your aunt Sarah had allready
arrived.  and all would be assemble together
before that day ended. your dear Father will
be well[?] and appropriately cared for and we
will look forward to a happy reunion
before may weeks, in the meantime you
and Willie must do all that is in your power
to preserve your health, you know how
essential it is to your parents happiness that
you should keep well.  do not expose yourself
too much, you had scarcely recover'd from you
recent illness when the sad necessity for you
dear mothers absence appeared.  I hope that
you write to her frequently & heartfelt letters
let them have the comfort of knowing
that their absent darling are well.

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your mother told me in her letters that
she had placed you under the card of
friends in whom she had implicit faith
Miss Barnard I have the happiness of
knowing and allso know her worth and
great eficiency and of the Miss Brocks
under whose care you are placed is the
same that I once saw at your house
you could not be in safer hands,m and
you my dear child must be obedient and
affectionate to these good friends.  Keep
cheerfull, be hopefull and let your young
heart rejoice that you are the child of such
parents.  Your Father has covered himself
with glory, he is the bravest of the brave,
he has fought and bled for his Country,
and you and I may well be proud of him
and allso of Charley he has acted as a
Hero, placed the Stars and Stripes with
his own hand in the City of rebellion
you will see that brother rise high in
support of his Country when her blessed

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Constitution and laws are completely
restored. write to me my dear child allso
to Sally Wainwright and your Aunt Lydia, the
employment will be pleasant and help
pass the time usefully in the absence of your
dear parents.  present my regards to both
Miss Kate and Miss Brock, give my
kisses to darling Willie, and recieve[?] the 
       affection of your devoted grandmother
                                          Mary Ellet

Mary Israel Ellet, 1780-1870, was the mother of Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr., 1810-1862, the noted engineer and naval innovator who pioneered the use of iron clad steamers as battering rams and was mortally wounded in the battle for Memphis while commanding the "Queen of the West." "Uncle" is Alfred Washington Ellet, 1820-1895, who commanded the ram "Monarch" in the same battle, and was later the brigadier of the Mississippi Marine Brigade; Charles' son Charley, 1843-1863, also mentioned above, raised the United States flag over Memphis and later commanded his father's ship in the Vicksburg campaign.
Granddaughter Mary, Nina's sister, also referred to above, married the widowed William D. Cabell of Nelson County, Virginia, after the war and became a founder of the Daughters of the American Revolution.


MSS 38-111