1862 January 18 Romney, Hampshire Co. Va

Quarters of Rockbridge Artillery
1st Brigade Army of the Valley

Mrs. Wm. M. Blackford Lynchburg

My Dear Mother
I despatched
a long letter to you on the 11th Inst. from
Hunger's Cross Roads, and another from this
place yesterday. The first was 28 pages &
the other 32. I trust they were received.
Berkeley Minor this morning received
from Charles a letter from Charles dated
"Fredericksburg--Jan. 13," announcing the death
of my beloved Uncle John. I need not
tell you that this intelligence shocks
and grieves me deeply: nor need I more
to assure you of my devout thankfulness
to God for the blessed hope left us by the
exercises of her last days that he has gone
to the Christian's reward. This Charles men-
tioned briefly: I am extremely desirous to
hear more of it and trust you will as
soon as possible give me all the particulars
you can. Whatever surprise I felt at hear-
ing this joyful intelligence is due to lack of
confidence in God's faithfulness to his promises
For why should we not have fully expected

[page 2
that one who for so many years had
been the subject of so many prayers, and
particularly that the child of such a
mother's prayers, should, even at the elev-
enth hour, have been brought to repen-
tance and moved to seek and to gain
a share in the Christian's inheritance?
There is great comfort in this thought,
and there is excellent reason in it for
believing that this death-bed repentance
is not obnoxious to those painful doubts
generally incident to such. do you not
agree with me in thinking so?

I had been thinking much of my dear
old Uncle lately for various reasons. The
last letter I got from him was the one
tendering me the carpet for my tent, of
which I wrote to you. I have now in
my pocket-book a number of C.S. postage stamps
enclosed to me in a letter from him received
on Christmas Day. I have recently finished
a second perusal of "Dombey & Son," in which
you may recollect the beautiful delineation
of the affectionate devotion of "Uncle Sol" to
Walter Gay his nephew. In reading of this

[page 3]
I was constantly reminded of the love of
my old uncle to his nephews, in no wise
behind that of the character in the novel.
The closeness of the analogy will strike
you strongly and pleasantly if you recol-
lect the story, which I know you have once
read. I have long been in the
habit of praying for the conversion of my
uncles, and particularly of Uncle John. The
last thing I recollect before sleeping last
night was an earnest supplication in his
behalf: I had just finished breakfast this
morning when Charles' letter came announ-
cing his death. I humbly trust that these
prayers, and yours, and those of many other
Christian people, have been now answered,
and that we all have another abundant
reason to have faith in the efficacy of prayer.
I presume from what Charles said of your
being expected in Fredericksburg that you
may have been there the day after he
wrote. In any event I suppose you will
be in possession of full particulars of his death.
I should like exceedingly to hear Cousin Brodie's
account of it. His letters are always so interesting

[page 4]
This is a dismal little place and one which
we will be happy to leave except to go upon
another of these terrible marches. My mess however
has been very comfortable here in our kitchen, out
of which we have rarely stirred. Our living too
has been excellent here, another large and choice
lot of provisions having come yesterday to one of our
members living in Hardy. It is rumoured that our
Brigade is soon to go to Winchester. I trust it may
be so. Continue to direct my letters thither.

Please ask father to look in my large book-
trunk in the shop for a pair of Rubber Shoes, & send
them to me by Express immediately--addressed
"L. M. Blackford--Rockbridge Artillery--To be left with
Beverly R. Jones, Esq Quarter Master's Office. Winchester, Va."
These shoes will be a great comfort to me. I
hope father will not take anything else out of the
trunk, except for his own use, or that of some member
of the family. I like my things to be kept together.
I have written tonight in a crowd, with loud
laughing & talking around me. This will explain
discrepancies, etc.
Your affectionate son
L.M. Blackford

Lancelot Minor Blackford, 1837-1914, University of Virginia alumnus, later the beloved principal of Episcopal High in Alexandria, Va., for over 40 years.