1862 October 16 Lynchburg, Va.

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer and former diplomat with five sons in the Confederate Army]


Thursday 16.  Clear in the morg--but
weather variable during the day.
Still nothing definite but the
evidence increasing that we were
victorious in Kentucky--wrote to
Mary R. and sent Lizzie a little
toy I have had for 20 yrs--Read
and heard read at night  Recollec
tions of Rogers, of his intercourse
with some of the celebrities of his
day Fox, Burke & Wellington
--nothing can be more jejune and
uninteresting--He does not seem
to have had intelligence enough
to have comprehending the conver-
sation of such men--or the conversa-
tion must have been very common-
place--there is not an observation
recorded worth remembering--He
speaks frequently of visiting
Fox at St. Annes hill, where
he was living with Mrs Armstead
-whom he afterwards married--as
his mistress.  She appeared in
company and seemed to have been
recognized by the visitors as [a?]
lady. After her marriage, she
never was received in the best so
ciety in England, which Fox took
greatly to heart--We brought
this morning to our house from
the hospital, the son of the lady
from South Carolina who has
been staying with us some days
--I regret now we did not effect
this arrangement sooner. the
do not seem to be of the "aristocracy"
-but are very well off and the
manners of the young man are
very good--(His brother came on to
nurse him)-and Mr. Goodchild
is very respectable in her appear
ance and deportment, & has been very
handsome.  It is very inconvenient
-but in these times every one ought
to do what he can.  I have taken
a very bad cold.  This augurs badly.
It does not generally come in so soon.

MSS 4763