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Friday  night

                                       Richmond  27 Feb  1863

            I  have not written, my beloved  wife, since the dear

girls went up, because I awaited a letter from you or

from one of them after their arrival.  Your welcome letter

arrived by Wednesday's mail at night.  Yesterday morning I

could not leave the office during the morning and it so

happened that I did not get it until near night.   Today

again I had not time to write until night, for which

I am sorry because it cannot leave here until

Monday. I begin to write however that I may have

a little talk with you before I go to bed, & will finish the

letter on Sunday.  I am greatly comforted to know

that the girls reached you in safety and tolerably com-

-fortably;  for Saturday night was a very bad one here   

quite early; it began to snow by 9 oclock & snowed all

night.  I suppose, as it was snowing next morning. From

your description you did not have so bad weather as

there was here; Sunday was one of the worst days that

I have known for several years; it snowed & hailed

'furiously all day & was moreover exceedingly cold; the

walking ever since has been so dreadful even on the

pavements that I have been to see nobody during the

week.  It has now moderated much in temperature

and the walking is improving, but it is still murky &

cloudy & looks like rain. I thought much of you all

during the bad weather knowing the character of the

walking up there,  I am greatly pleased that your time is

tendered agreeable by the presence of such kind and interesting

friends.  Give my kind regards to those ladies and to Bessy;

also to the Gilmers etc.  Tell Mr.  Wilmer that I received his

letter along with yours, and that I got the package of papers

today. Present my sincere thanks to him along with my

kind regards and say that I will write to him soon.

I told him in my letter to him that I insisted upon his

agreeing to your purchasing provisions & as I had done &

he agreed to it; so I hope you will let me know when you

want money.  Do not let Mr. Johnson forget  the book

& to pay for it in Lynchburg, and thank him in my be-

-have for his trouble.  Thank Mr. Wilmer also

kindness about little Jim & say to him that I shall have

for the present to trouble him a little farther and for the

present to depend entirely upon his judgment as to per-

-mitting Jim to stay with Jed Fortune  or placing him

somewhere else.  Mr. W. spoke of taking him home;  I should

prefer, if it can be done, that the boy should be with someone

at work; tho' of course I desire that he should not suffer at all. 

            Tell Mr. W. also, in reply to a question which  

some one asked as to whether I would sell Fanny, that I do

not at this time wish to do so; but I should like however

to know whether Mrs  Hurley intends to keep her.

            M.r  Semple came to the office to see me this morning; he

is quite well.  He kindly undertook to have the girls'

memorandum (which I gave to him) attended to.

            You asked me who is the "old acquaintance" in the

office with me.  He is M.r  Gilliam from Prince George Co.

one of the numerous friends of that name from the neighbor-

-hood of Petersburg.  He is an old gentleman, a member of the

Episcopal church & formerly was one of the congregation of

M.r Denison - also of Minnigerode, both of whom he speaks

of with warm regard.  I have almost entirely gotten

free from the troublesome cold which troubles me when the

girls were here; the weather has been against me en-

tirely.  I met M.r  Marshall, who married Miss Kate

Edloe,  in the street today. He desires to be remembered to

you & the girls.  He is in the army & is looking very well.

They have a little girl.

            I have heard nothing worth mentioning about Williams-

-burg  altho' several persons have been here lately from

there & neighborhood.  M.r Bowman & other; none of

them however have I seen except young W.m  Peachy

who has come away, he says , to go into service.  I

 heard of his talking rather flippantly about some of

the people at Wmsbg. but he was quite subdued when

I saw him.

            It is passed 12 oclock,  Good night my

 dearest wife.

                                    Sunday 1.  March 1.

I have been to church this morning and heard

Minnigerode preach a very good sermon, but I

think that his reading & delivery were rather worse

than usual.     It has been raining ever since friday

night until about 10 oclock today : indeed at first

I thought I should not get out to church, but the sun  is

at last giving evidence of his existence.

            I have not heard form Bob at all since I

came here, altho' I have written twice to him; when

you write after you receive this do tell me if you

have heard from him & whether he says anything sp-

-ecial.

                        Give my affectionate love to dear

Lelia & page and to Annie and Mary.  Tell L & P

that I hope they got on without much trouble on their

rail road travel & tell A & M  that I want to see

them sadly.  Tell dear Breck that I am rejoice to

hear that he is such a good boy and say to Georgy

that I am delighted to hear that he loves Grandpa

so much & that Grandpa love him just as much;

tell him that I have seen a few little boys  sliding down

the street on sleds but they did not get along very

well;  not half so well as I imagine Georgy goes went

down the hill at the Rectory.  Kiss darling Lucy Page

many times for me & tell her not to forget Grandpa.

            M.r Sempletalked of going up soon; if he shall

do so please send my thirty  by him. 

            Now that I am employed  I want merely to see you and

all with you.  I shall do so as soon as I can.

            Farewell my beloved wife.  Ever yours  RS.

Remember me to the servants.