1862 January 28

Dear Betsey

After receiving your last let=
ter informing me of Felicies misfortune I
thought I would write to her instead of to
you, I received her last letter a day or
two ago & was much grieved to hear of
her situation, I had felt some uneasi
ness about her, from what you said
about her in your letter to Fran. I hope
she is in no danger, but I feel very
anxious to hear from her again. I hope
you will write & let us know the result
of the examination, if it is was necessary
to have one, which I hope she has found
not necessary to go through. Poor thing! I
think a great deal about her, & sympa
thize most deeply, for she has been indeed
a child of affliction. I was in Lynchburg
a few days ago when I received F's
letter, I had made quite an effort &
gone in to see Sally & pass a night
with her. she is on a short visit to her fa
=ther, who has had another attack of
paralysis, leaving him in a perfect state
of helplessness, he is completely prostrate

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They feed him like an infant & turn him
in bed whenever he wants to do so, & yet
they say he may live on for years. what
a misfortune. he says he wants to die
& I think it would it would be a bles
-sing if it could be so, but Providence orders
all things. Sally is looking very well she
had Katy with her, sucking her thumb all
the time. she left Al[?] with Mr Nelson
who is staying at home this winter, but ex
pects to go to camp in the spring. John & Charles
are still on the Alleghanies, poor fellows,
but are under marching orders, they are very
well, we hear from Tom very often, he is
cook for his mess, he writes to his friend
Mr Ogden very often who is still with us
we all like him very much, he dont
seem to have any idea of leaving, tho his
health seems to be restored, but he will
go whenever there is a prospect of a fight.
Tom will telegraph him, he is a very in
teligent gentleman & pleasant & agreeable
he plays chess a great deal with Bet
& is very fond of it, he has been accustom
=ed to every comfort that wealth can be
stow, & we all think it is right strange
that he should be so well satisfied

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with our poor doings, but he seems to
be perfectly happy & contented, & is always
delighted at having bad weather, giving
him an excuse for not going back, he is
very tired of camp life, but is ready for
a fight when the yankees come on. tom
says in a letter to Fan that he had
gotten a letter from Jim say8ing that
his company would disband in may & that
he wanted to join to join his company we were
very glad to hear that & hope that he
will, & in the end hope to have with
us once more. I was caught in Lynchburg
& detained there a day & night longer than
I intended by snow, rain & hail, & when I
came back I never had such a ride in
my life on horseback of course, we have had
any quantity of rain but no snow deep enough
to put up, I am afraid we cant get ice
the weather being very mild. I saw a good
many of our friends, aunt ann, Lucy Z Kate
&c they came to gen R's. all are very well
none of the girls are at home but Kate.
Lucy is in Richmond, will stay until after
the inauguration. Mag is at Johns teaching
his children. I suppose you have heard of
the death of Uncle John Freelands son

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William, Kate says they deeply afflicted
he was his favourite child, he says it is
a blow that he cant get over but will
go with him to his grave. aunt Grace too
is in the depths of grief, more so now a
great deal than at first, Gavin died
suddenly in convulsions, some think from the
effects of drinking....Fan says she will
write to you in a few days, Molly says you
must answer her letter. Tell Felicie I
will write to her before long. I hope
she has gotten quite well by this time
Tell her she must write to me & let
me know how she is. Tell Louise she
ought to have a spanking for treating
poor Leslie so badly, after having gone
so far to see her aunt ann says she
saw him soon after he came back & she
asked him if he saw her & he said he
saw her only twice. Sally Cabel (Mrs
Laidly) is dead. we hear of nothing but
deahts now a days. Good bye my
best love to all & be sure and
write very soon.
your affect sister
L C Steptoe

MSS 6515


MSS 6515