Although you have never answered the letter, which I wrote you
nearly
four months ago,
yet I will write this, hoping it may be answered, as you will not be so busy as
you were in
So
Carolina. I wrote to
Pa last Saturday a week ago, which letter I hope he
received, and will answer, in the course of time. I arrived here, without
breaking down, though I expected to do so every moment, as the old buggy was
very ricketty, but by driving slow we got along tolerably well, and I hope John
[
John Rutherford London] got back home without breaking
down. I have been kept pretty busy since my arrival, "making up" the
time I was absent, but I am through now, and breathe free. Tell
Aunt Fannie I saw
Lizzie
on Sunday, and she said
Page 2
her eyes were nearly well,
and she was looking very well indeed. I Received the letter from Bro Willie [
William Lord London], which
Pa sent over to me, and am much obliged to him for sending
it. I have not heard from
Mary
Cowan and the other girls, since I have been here, but suppose they are
getting along finely, and like
St
Marys
2 as
much as they expected, and by the way has anything ever been heard of the money
Mary
lost? We had quite an excitement here last week, and which we enjoyed very
much, it was this: The Sheriff of the County summoned a "Posse" of
about thirty of us to break up a camp of run away
Negroes, which we most effectually did, capturing the camp
with all its contents, taking 7 prisoners and wounding one, without a man of us
scratched. We had an other one, but of a totally different character, namely the
Page 3
carrying away to
Raleigh of
about half dozen Students who were eighteen. You know it is only the Juniors
& Seniors who are exempt and so last Tuesday the Enrolling Officer took to
the Conscript Camp the Sophs and Fresh who were liable to conscription, and who
had been skulking here for sometime with the hope of being let alone till they
were Juniors, when they would be exempted by the President [
Jefferson
Davis]. Tell
Pa not to be afraid of their taking me, as
Gov
Swain
says there is no danger of it, but I would not care much if they
did, as I hate the idea of skulking, as it were, out of the army, when my
Country needs my services so much, but yet when an exemption is proffered a
man, he can scarcely be blamed for taking it. Ask
Pa not to forget to send me the candles, I wrote him for,
by the first opportunity. Tell
Charlie I have been expecting a letter from him a long
time, and he must
Page 4
hurry up and write me. Tell
Fan I am looking out for the letter, she promised to write
me, and since
Mary and
Lilly have left,
Harlo[w]
3
visits her &
Mary every night or two. Give my love to all the children, and ask
Neddie if he has written an other composition on
"Early Rising" lately? When will
Miss
Cartie be married or has married already? I hope
Pa finds ready sales for his goods, but they will be much
higher, as the running the blockade has been partially stopped by
Congress.
Give my respects to the
Dr when you write him. Tell
Pa I have not seen the "Confederate" yet and
have not heard of my money, as I suppose
Mat Ramsey
took it, Give my love to all at the "Cottage" and write soon to Your
affect Bro