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                                Richmond  31  May 1863  

        I did not receive your letter my beloved

wife, until friday, altho' it was written on Monday.

  It was nevertheless more grateful to me than usual,

for having so recently enjoyed your presence and

that all dear to me.  I felt the greater anxiety to

commune with you all again.  I was delighted

to know that all were well and reasonably comfortable.

    I have myself been rather unwell for two or

three days:  the cool weather, or something in

the atmosphere, has produced a sort of epidemic

diarrhea; almost every one is complaining of it,

and it has assailed me quite uncomfortably;  on the day

before yesterday I was very unwell and feverish in

the afternoon and at night,  altho'  I had been out

in the morning: I took some remedies however &

abstained entirely from eating under the influence

of which proceedings I have nearly gotten rid

of the enemy and was out of my room at breakfast

this morning-only to take  a cup of tea-but I have

not been out of the house since friday.  I shall

walk down town tomorrow if I continue to improve,

but shall not go to work before Thursday.  If there

were any necessity my dear wife, for a special occur-

=rence  from time ^to time   in order to impress me with a proper

sense of your value, there need be no other than a

little disposition on my part:  You may perhaps be able

to conceive how forlorn I felt when at the height of

my attack the other day, and how I missed your un-

-remitting, watchful, affectionate tenderness and care-

-ful devotion.  The sickness was really very inconsider-

-able but it attacked  me, as the military say, in a

weak position, and my body guard was not present.

   Sick or well I miss you indescribably my beloved wife;

of all the rest I dare say I miss precious Lucy Page

the most (as is natural enough)  but I miss them

all - all.          I suppose you have of course re-

-ceived my letter written last Sunday.  I told you of

my finding  here a letter from Bob and of my writings

to him.  I have not heard from him again as yet.   A

few  days ago I wrote to him again and sent him a

bundle containing the sheets &c. by the Southern Express. 

                About the middle of the past week  I met in the

street Miss Judith Carter Nelson who told me that she

was for the present staying in town at Mr. Hill's.  She

inquired affectionately after you; she told me too that

Miss Ann Rose was in town on a visit to Mrs. Ballard.

    I told her I would got to see her and Miss Ann Rose

also, which was ( and is) of course my intention, but

I have not been out in the afternoon since.  I will go

however as soon as I can.

    I told you in my letter of my having spent an evening

at Gen.  Ewell's  and his having been promoted to the

rank of Lieutenant General;  a day  ^or two after that he was

married to Mrs. Brown, and about friday he went

up to join  Gen. Lee's army and take command of

his corps - (Gen. Jackson's former command)   I have

        not seen Lizzie since I saw her at her uncle's

       so  that I know nothing of the matter except

what I heard by accident.  The marriage appears to

have been quite private:  there has not even been

(as I believe) any announcement of it in the

papers.    I am very glad, for the General's sake

that he has a good wife, and for both his and the

Country's sake that he is able to take the field

again.    I do not know whether his wife is in

town  or not.   I shall however go to see Lizzie

when I am able to go about as usual & find out.

        Mr. Botts was in town a few days ago

as I heard,  but I did not meet him: I heard of the loss

of his slaves which you mention, but did not hear

what was the result of the application for their

restoration.   You will of course have seen how

rapidly  our friend Mr. Lyons was driven from the

field by Col.  Wickham.  I never knew a man so

badly beaten in so short a time.   Mr. Garnett

has been also beaten by Lieut. Gov. Montague which

I am inclined to think is no improvement.

  I am not yet able to ascertain whether Mr. Custis

is re-elected to the house of delegates or not.  He

had two opponents, both from Hampton, which so far

was favorable to him.   I feel much curiosity and

interest about the election in Pittsylvania,  Mr. Gilmer

indeed, I do not feel much anxiety about;  I have

little doubt that he is elected, but I fear from what I

heard when I was up there,  that  Mr. Whittle is beaten.

   If the dear girls, L & P, have not left you

for Charlotte, give them my affectionate love   and

tell them that I fear they will have to exercise pa-

-tience about their shoes.    I went just before I

was confined to my room,  to several of the prin-

-cipal shoe stores & could not find black or white

shoes of the required numbers:  indeed the stock seemed

to be exceedingly small.     I shall try again as soon as

I get out.   I am informed that the stock of shoes is now in

town is exceedingly small, but that an  importation  of

blockade goods is expected during the present week.  

       I saw Mr. Semple 3 or 4 days ago - quite well. 

    Best love to dear Anne and Mary and Georgy &

Breck, and thousand kisses for my darlings.

          Kindest regards to Mr. Wilmer.  Present me

also kindly to Mrs. Semple & to friends generally.

    Nothing but unsatisfactory rumors for Vicksburg;

there is occasionally a notice of a dispatch which

turns out erroneous.  The greatest caution will not

avail to keep free from deception sometimes.   In my

  letter last Sunday I mentioned a dispatch of Gen.

Johnston which was to my cautious vision even, com-

-pletely authenticated, but I believe that only a

small part of it had any foundation.

                Remember me to the servants.

      Nothing from Williamsburg.

       Farewell for the present my dearest wife

                                                  Ever yr  R.S.

Mrs. Saunders