Monday, October 15, 2012

1862 October 16 Richmond

                                              Richmond Oct 16. 1862

My Dear Neice
                           I reached here on day before yesterday
A few days before leaving home your letter of the 24th
Sept was received.  To day I was informed by Mr John M. Speed
that his sister Mrs Rudd was about leaving for the City
of Washington under a flag of truce and he kindly offered
to see that any letter I might write to you should be
forwarded by him.  I gladly avail myself of the opportunity to send
an answer to yours of the 24th Ult.  I perceive that up
to the date of that letter you had received but one
letter from me.  I had written you three--all written
in time to have been received by you before the 24th
and all sent by persons who I was assured would us
every exertion to get them to you.  Your aunt Martha
ad your Cousin Margaret have also each sent you
several letters.
  I find some difficulty in advising you what course to pursue
were I to consult my own feelings alone I would desire
to see you and the children take up your permanent
abode in Virginia abut I do not think it would be right
to advise you to move to this state as a home during
the war as I can not tell what effect the such a step
might have on your own property and that of the
children left in your charge. No considerations of the
kind however seem to me to stand in the way of
your coming and bringing the children with you

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on a visit for the winter.  I need scarcely assure you that
such a visit would be a source of the highest pleasure
to me, to Martha and to Margaret.  We are all anxious
to have you and the children with us.
 I think you have acted wisely in giving up your home
for the present.  I do not see how you could have
stayed there without some male protection.  I do not doubt
you will be able to get a suitable tenant for the house and
grounds at a suitable ren  handsome rent as it is a
very eligible and desirable residence.  I think too
that your plan of taking a place in some school
is a good one, as well for yourself as for the children.
In the discharge of the duties of such a situation I could not
but ope that your mind would be to some extent relieved
from the gloomy thoughts in which, in the absence of such
employment, I should fear you would indulge.
As stated in my previous letters it would give me pleasure
(and I can say the same for Mr Bouldin) to give you
any advice or aid in my power in the conduct and
management of the property and affairs of business
left in your charge.  You must not hesitate to connect
with us freely whenever you feel that our council or
assistance may be of service to you.  I am glad to
hear that thus far you have to been in want of
the means to meet, as they arose the expense of
the estate and  the children.  As however the
estate is yielding but a small income in its present
shape, and in the present disturbed state of the
country this it may happen that you may find use

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in maintaining the children for more ready money
than the rest of the property will yield.  In such
contingency do not hesitate for a moment to acquaint
me with your wants and wishes.  It will afford me
heartfelt pleasure at any time to aid you in this or
any other way.
I saw Margaret the day before I left home. She was quite
well. She has again a very good school.  She told me that
she designed writing to you in a few days and
would forward the letter to me to be sent on to you.
I hope I may have the pleasure of sending a letter
from her to you in a short time.
  I was agreeably surprised in meeting Ella Bouldin on the
street to-day.  She is on a visit to Dr Dean and the
Barksdales her relations--She has recently had a
second attack of  Diphtheria but is now convalescent. Her
mother and several of the children have been quite
unwell for some weeks but but I am happy to
say that they are all now getting well.
My son John was slightly wounded (by a ball through his
hand) in the battle of Boonsborough.  He is at home and
is rapidly getting well of his wound.  He expected, when I
left Lynchburg, to pay a short visit to his Aunt Martha
and family at Roanoke about this time.
Joe and Stuart have both recovered of their wounds
and gone back to the army.
I trust you will soon get this and you may also soon
be able to avail yourself of some opportunity to
let us hear from you again.  I should think

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that if you wold get some friend to hand your
letters to the Secretary of War at Washington with
a request to have them forwarded that the
request would be complied with and we might
thus hear from you more frequently.  Mr Randolph
has promised to send on any letters I may have for
you.
I expect to remain here, attending my court till the
25th of Nov.   In the meantime I hope to hear from you
often--Elizabeth is now with me but expects to go to Charlotte
in a few days.  She writes with me in best love to you and
the children.     Most affectionately
                                     Your Uncle
                                         Wm Daniel Jr

Mary Virginia Ellet Cabell, 1839-1930, and her siblings were orphaned when their father, the noted
engineer Charles Ellet, Jr. was mortally wounded on the Queen of the West in the naval battle for
Memhis, and their mother died a few days later.  She maintained a correspondence across the lines with her Virginia relatives and eventually married a cousin William Daniel Cabell from Nelson County.  Decades later she was founding member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.


MSS 276
                          

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