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                                Liberty  Bedford.  Friday 7 Aug 1863.

         I arrived here this morning my beloved wife, &

found your most welcome letter of 30th.   I had received

your previous letters  giving me notice of  all your changes

of plan,  except that of going to Botetourt.  This I am quite

satisfied with as it will give you much pleasure  and

I shall probably be moving about all this month.

  I wrote to you, in reply to one of your letters, sending you

a check for $100.  which I hope you have received._

If not, write to me from Botetourt, addressing me at

Danville.   I found also here a letter from Lelia

dated only 3 days ago- all well.  She mentioned

poor Mrs.  Mumford's death.   I wrote also to Bob the

other day.   I left the Rectory last Tuesday, got to

Danville at night, left there next morning on the rail

road for the Junction, arrived there about 1 oclock

(saw Mrs. Wood Bouldin on my way)  left there about

10. at night for Lynchburg, travelled all night passing

straight through to Forest Depot (about 8 miles) where

I got out (6 in the morning) and whence I pro-

-ceeded by private conveyances (thro' New London/

to Major Saunders' ^; 13 miles  there I spent several hours                                        

returning in the evening to New London (5 miles from

Forest Depot) where I spent the night & this morning

left there for Forest D. ( by moonlight & on horseback)

where I took the rail road again & came here (about



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 15 miles) to breakfast.  I saw Capt. Mallory after

breakfast, who gave my letters and kindly

asked me to stay with him as I shall have to be

here two or three days.  He had been so kind as to

write to me so soon as he heard of my appointment &

that I should have to come here begging me to stay with him

when I came;  I shall probably go there tomorrow

From here I shall in all probability proceed to Wytheville

if the Yankees are not about there,  from which place I

shall go to Carrol which is one of my Counties & hope

to finish there ( as I hope to do here) before my return

which will be back this way, but probably without stop-

-ing, & around to Danville again where I shall probably

arrive about 16 or 17th.  Very soon after that I shall  have

to go to Franklin, Henry & Patrick, which will probably oc-

-cupy  the rest of the month nearly & tho' I shall try & meet

dear Bob at the Rectory.  I hope to hear from some of you

after you receive this,  must go to Danville.

    There is no doubt of poor Mr. Pettitt's death ; his family are

greatly distressed as I hear.    Give my best love

to dear Page and to dear Bob; also kindest regards to

the Pendleton's and Miss Ann Rose;  I fear I shall not

have time to  visit Mrs. Allen.

      It is intensely hot, writing, & I have to write to

Lelia, who wants some money, so must stop.

         Farewell my dearest wife.  Your R.S.

Capt. Mallory is from Hampton, brother of Dr. F. Mallory- his family

live here.