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Williamsburg Monday  11th  Feb. 1861


            I have been from home so much recently, my beloved


wife, and when I am here I see so little of the family


that I begin to fell very uncomfortable.  However it will


not last very long, as I hope that the condition of the rail road


will be such in a few weeks as to relieve me from constant


attention.  I never had so much work to do in my life; when


I am in Richmond. I sometimes go without dinner  because I have


so short a time to eat it in.  I got down from there on Thursday


last;   I found two most welcome letters  from you; the last one


enclosing my dear Marianne's note; but even that


letter is ten days old.  It is true that the girls have


heard from you since and  I am delighted that all are


so well.   Peggy wrote to you by Saturday's mail;  I told


her to tell you that I would write by the succeeding mail;


I had been all that morning at the farm , had to go down


to see Cousin Mary in the afternoon and at night went


by invitation to Col. Mumford's.   I suppose Page told you


of the illness of Cousin Mary.  Lelia sat up with her last


 night.  I do not know that there had been any material


change for several days, but she is exceedingly feeble, altho'




when I saw her on Friday I did not think her so weak as I expected to see her: She is however in very uncertain condition. Poor old Sam Bonner too I suppose Page told you of. He died the night after I got home; he asked for you. Dear Bob made an ineffectual effort to get off on Friday by the way of York River; Some one being about to repair the Capital Landing bridge had taken it up that very morning with such short notice that every one was caught by it. The carriage went all the way there & then turned back & went all around by Dr. Waller's Mill; the consequence was that the boat had passed when he got to Bigler's. He went up the James River on Saturday. Thank my dear M- for taking the trouble to write me a note. I am rejoiced that she once more begins to feel healthful and that the little babe is well, that it was a great fret with all I could not doubt. Neither did I doubt from past occurrences that all of Mr. Wilmer's & Marianne's excellent friends had been kind as ever. I desire to be es- pecially remembered to all of them. Give my kindest regards to Mr. Wilmer. I am very glad that he has recovered from the severe cold of which she spoke: a severe cold is at the least very uncomfortable and frequently assails the constitution quite seriously. We have had until the last two or three days perfectly diabolical carriage went all the way there & then turned back & went all around by Dr. Waller's Mill; the consequence was that the boat had passed when he got to Bigler's. He went up James River on Saturday. Thank my dear M- for taking the trouble to write me a note. I am rejoiced that she once more begins to feel healthful and that the little babe is so well, that it was a great fret with all I could not doubt. Neither did I doubt from past occurrences that all of Mr. Wilmer's & Marianne's excellent friends had been kind as ever. I desire to be es- -pecially remembered to all of them. Give my kindest regards to Mr. Wilmer. I am very glad that he has recovered from the severe cold of which he spoke: a severe cold is at the least very uncomfortable and frequently assails the constitution quite seriously. We have had until the last two or three days perfectly diabolical

weather.  Rain & snow, but generally rain, until I began


at last to fear that people's houses would fall down with


their foundations softened.  Our rail road was somewhat


damaged by it.  On Wednesday evening last it cleared up; next


day as I came down the river the weather was clear but


the  wind furious, and that night & Friday were colder than


any weather this winter: on Saturday they got a little ice


at the farm; all I believe that has been gotten here at


all.


            I feel very much obliged to those of my friends


who wish me to be in the convention, because  their wish is


complimentary; but I assure you that I am exceedingly


glad that I shall not be there: it was with very great


reluctance that I permitted my name to be used and I


took the first opportunity to withdraw,  which I did so soon


as I found that Mr. Mallory (who is already a can-


-didate) was in any degree conservative.


            As to  what will be done - as to  what can be done - I confess


that every mental vision is not strong enough  to pierce the


gloom.  I know what I would have if I could - viz- a


re-union upon proper principles: this I suppose is out of the


question.  I know also that I would have upon their suppo-


sition;but what I would desire  I do not think will happen &


I am far from feeling sure that it would be the best thing to do.


            I never despaired about any thing before, but I do not


contemplate the possibility that - no matter what may be the


issue - we can ever be restored to a position of proud equality


with other nations and of comfort, prosperity & harmony at home.


            The vase has been shattered and cannot be reconstructed.


I suppose the  elements were incongruous & that  it could


not hold together; and that it is one of those great misfortunes


which the world beholds whilst standing aghast at the ruin,


without the slightest amount of power existing any  where in


human hands to stop it.  As for a Southern confederacy holding


together for ten years  ( I mean one containing border states &


Gulf states)  I consider the notion preposterously chimerical -


and I consider almost equally chimerical the view that the


 middle free states would enter into a union with the border


slave states upon terms safe for the latter;  this I confess I


should prefer, as a matter of taste & feeling ( for I am disgusted


with the puerile precipitancy of the extreme Southern states - it is a


French operation); as to judgment, that is "fled to brutish hearts" -


I have no judgment about the matter.


            Since I wrote what is above your letter has arrived.


I thank God that all are well, and only respire that your


return will be so long delayed;  but I am sure that your


 presence is a comfort to one dear child & I do not com-


plain.  I have to got to Richmond again this week.


Kiss all the dear children for me.  I want to see them


all badly - the darling girls & dear Georgy & Breck,  not


forgetting little Lucy.  I hope they will all be here soon.


                                    Ever yours   RS


Mrs.  Saunders