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                        Richmond Wednesday Night

                                                 4 March 1863

            I have received your last letter

my beloved wife, which strange to say,

I received on Tuesday morning (yesterday)

as well as the shirts by Mr. Johnson;

for both I am most exceedingly obliged

to you.  Mr. Johnson very kindly

came to our office this morning &

said he would bring the bundle up to-

-morrow, but I saved him the trouble

by going to the Hotel to see him this

evening & got it myself.   I send

two more by him which I beg the

favor of you to have repaired and

send at your convenience- of

course.  I have the same number

now that I had when I left you

so that I am not in want,  ^ and  but ["but" crossed out] I think

it better to have them repaired before

they get crazy.  The two that I send

require, each a front piece new, if you

have any linen (if not let me know

& I will send some up by Mr. Whittle

or Mr. Gilmer).  I have marked the

two pieces that are to be new "this new".

   One of the shirts also requires the

wristbands turned in at the edges

and both some repairs to the bosoms.

  When you send them you need not

have them washed as they will have

to be washed after they get back.

I would have had these that I send

washed however, but they were

dirty & I had not time to have

them washed.      I saw Mr. Johnson

with great pleasure, not only because

I like to see him but because it

was charming to me to see some one

who was from the spot where

you & all that are most dear to me

are.    I am very sorry my

dear wife, that it happened that you

did not hear from me for so long a

time;  I hope however that before this

your anxiety is relieved by getting my

letter which I closed on Sunday last.

   I am entirely free of cough & indeed

of cold, except such slight remains

as are almost inevitable at this

season in Richmond.  I am indeed

very well.  It has been clear for

two days & is today quite cold.

   I assure you I take excellent care

of myself.    The weather has been

so bad & the walking so miserable

until a day or two past that I have

done no visiting except to good Mrs.

Clopton's once and to Mr. Price's once.

I was there in the early part of

tonight.     I am sorry that

Henry Burwell is sick & of

course, also, some trouble to Mr. W.

and to you.  I hope he is better, &

please tell him to keep himself

within doors at night during this

season at l^east;  it is night exposure in all

sorts of weather  which servants  have

a passion for & which produces the

greater part of their sickness.

     I hope that dear Georgy has gotten

rid of his cough.  Give him my love

& tell him that Grandpa was very

sorry to hear of his cough & that he

knows how bad a cough is.  Kiss  dear

Breck for me too and darling Lucy Page:

what I would give to see the little

darling scudding about.  Affectionate

love also to dear Ann & Mary & tell

them I want to see them very much.

Best love also to Lelia & Page.  I shall

write to Lelia & put it in the office to-

-morrow so that it will go up on

Friday,  lest Mr. Johnson should be de-

-tained  here longer than he expects.

   I dont  know, as you did not say, what

sort of soda Lelia wants.  I shall

send, if I can get it, some medicinal

soda as I presume she wants it to take. 

As the month for which I was ap-

-pointed to office was out today

and I did not know whether the

appointment for "a month" was a

matter of form or what, I applied

this  morning to know whether my

services were any longer wanted,

the chief clerk of our branch of bus-

-iness was very complimentary, as

he supposed, and said,  yes indeed!

they could not think of parting with

me;  he wished  they had a hundred

such - it was very rare that they

could obtain the services of a gen-

-tleman of such education and in=

-telligence  and business capacity &c. &c.

as if I did not know all that per-

-fectly  well,  However he is really

a kind gentleman. He said that

he & the chief of the department

(the 2nd  auditor) were desirous to elevate

me and would use every endeavor to

do so &c.   Some of my friends are also

endeavoring to do the like.  I suppose

that I shall obtain a position which

will pay better, & that is really all

that I care for,  as there is no service

in any of the departments below that

of one of the cabinet officers which

gives any distinction, nor is there any

which, I may truly say, (with the exception

above) is  not below the capacity of

a man of good education and fair

talents.   With the prospect then of

promotion in the money line, I do not

think it prudent to leave here now:

I must content myself a while longer

with my painful absence from you

and I hope my dearest  wife that you will

try &  bear it too.  Of  one thing I assure

you; if I find that it makes the least

[?] upon my health I shall at once

abandon it.  Nothing can compensate

that.  However so far as I find that

work agrees with me admirably.

There is nothing interest about public

or domestic affairs worth mentioning.

   I have heard nothing about Williams-

-burg which  is of any consequence

unless indeed it be considered of con=

-sequence that the Yankees have

carried the Hofheimers to Old

Point for selling goods in the country.

      I would send you some money by

this opportunity but that this goes

in a bundle which might be lost-

  I will send you some by Mr. Gilmer.

If you want any in the mean time

write to me and I will send a check.

I would send a check now but that is

sometimes difficult at Pittsylva  C.H.

to get he money for it; therefore I wait for Mr. G.

Present my kindest regards to Mr. Wilmer.

I shall write to him soon.

Kind remembrance also to Mrs. S. & Bessy.

the Gilmers, Coles &c.

Remember me to the servts.   Ever Your  R.S.

 _____

Mrs. Saunders.

     I return the towel in which the

shirts were wrapped.  I do  not want it &

you may.  The one which contained my

gown is of some use to me & I keep it.