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                                                Richmond Tuesday  14 April 1863

                I received your letter of Thursday last on yesterday, my

beloved wife, and was greatly  concerned on Matilda's

account, for the death of the little boy Henry.  I hope sin-

-cerely  that Jasper  did not also fall a sacrifice to the

terrible diphtheria.  I am also much afraid that you

fatigued yourself excessively, as I know your unre-

-mitting attention to the sick, especially to servants

who know so little how to attend to each other.

                I wrote to you on Sunday telling you that

Mr. Lefebvre had brought my shirts.  He ex-

-pects to return tomorrow or on Thursday & I send

a box to  Ringgold which he kindly undertakes to

see put out & put upon the stage.  This letter you

will find in the box and you will see a strip of

paper also, directing to read the letter before

unpacking the box; the reason of this is that there

is a plate inside the piece of bleached cotton

which might be broken if the unpacking took

place in ignorance of its being there; it is such a

plate ( I hope) as Lelia requested me to get  to replace

one of Mrs. Lefebvre's which was broken at the

Rectory.  I will now give a list of the ^other articles in

the box-on the top, (inside of course) enveloped  in

the old towel which you sent  around the shirts,

[Marginalia on page 1]

I am glad that the girls & Mrs. Semple were able to get to Mrs. Coles'. I infer that the roads are improving;

it must also have been an agreeable relaxation to  Mr. Wilmer.  Kind & respectful regards to Miss Agnes

when you see her.  I have not seen  Dr. Cabell since his return.   

is a small quantity of passover or "unleavened" bread

which Mrs. Heller sends you.  About Easter I met

Mr. Heller one day, who told me that Mrs. H. had fre-

-quently, perhaps generally at Easter, sent you

some of this bread & that she desired to do so at that

time whensoever I had an opportunity; I thankfully

accepted it, knowing that it would, in these times

especially, be very acceptable to the children &

indeed to all parties.  I am afraid it is a good

deal mashed up, but it is all there.  There is

next to be found a little doll (in blue paper) for

darling Lucy Page, & also two cheap caps which I

accidentally met with, for dear Georgy & Breck;

if too large they can be padded inside.  They cost

$1. a piece, which is marvellously cheap.

                There is a piece of unbleached cotton (31.  yards).

There are two parcels of bleached cotton- one contains

15 yards which is all that Mr. Slater had of that

quality.  There is also 5 yards of another quality.

I thought that about 12 yards would make Bob

4 shirts.  The 15 yard piece is of the better quality, altho'

not quite so wide as the other, but abundantly

wide enough for shirts;  there is also a small piece

of linen, the best I could afford to buy altho' coarse,

to make bosoms & wristbands for 4 shirts.  I think

2  1/4 yards-^ I got more white cotton than was wanted for Bob as I thought it might be necessary for some of your furnishings

there are some spools of cotton of difft.  

sizes, & I think, two pr. of shoestrings wrapped up within them.

I send the shoestrings because I forget whether dear

baby's shoes were properly furnished or not.

                You will also find 20 lb. sugar, 20 lb. rice, and six

pounds of coffee; this last Mr. Heller very kindly offered

me out of a parcel which he had bought  for himself

from somebody from James City, at the price which he

gave for it. $3 1/2  a pound, which is more than a

dollar cheaper that I could have bought it elsewhere;

there is also a pound of good green tea ( which

ought to be good as it cost $18!) and half a

pound of black teas & 2. oz. of soda.

                I send also a tin horn for dear Georgy & a whistle

for dear Breck;  I remember George's passion for

a horn.  I hope they will have music enough;

the last thing in the list is a pound of candy which I

hope will soften & sweeten all disappointment as

to other matters,  Give my best love to dear Anne

& Mary & tell them that I would have sent some-

-thing especially to them if I had known what to

send.  I hope if you can think of any thing

useful for them, you will let me know.  I wrote

before, suggesting that the dresses which I bought

them from Danville last summer, he sent to me

that I may sell them ^further unless they can sell them up

                                                                                          there.

[Marginalia on page 3]

Ask Bob when you write, if he recd. my letter written in reply to the

one that he wrote after his recovery from diphtheria

As ever the commonest matters are very scarce I send a few

pens in the letter.     I gave Mr. Lefebvre $50 to take to

you.  You will of course ascertain when Mr. W. requires

any.  I thought it better to put the money into Mr.

Lefebvre's  hands than to put it in the letter, as it is

possible that the box may be lost; tho' I certainly

hope not, as it contains comfortbale things and cost

above $200.  The ^unbleached cotton was $1.75 per

yard, the bleached $2.50, the liner $5. &c.

   I hope Page's muslin suited.  I was in hopes to get

an answer from Lelia to my letter enclosing the sample

of grey stuff, that I might have sent by this opportunity

what she & Page want for morning dresses.

   There is nothing very specific from Gen. Wise as yet;

He holds Wmsburg and sent down, around by Tutter's neck,

a force which drove the Yankees from their camp just

beyond Whitaker's mill and destroyed it with all their

stores &c; but at last accounts he had not taken Ft. Magruder.

                I was at Minnigerodes two or three days ago;  his

son James has a warrant as a midshipman.

              Kindest regards to Mr. Wilmer- best love to girls and

kisses for my darlings.  I hope darling baby will be charmed

with her baby.  Try & make her preserve it as long as she can

as it cost more than you would think.  Let me recommend to

you also to take care of the wrapping paper about the

bundles & the good string.  Kind regards to Mrs. S & all friends.

Your friends here, whom I have seen, Martha Page, Mr. & Mrs. Minni-

-gerode,  Miss Julia Johns, the Cloptens, all send love.

Thank good Dr. Martin for his great kindness; & get Dr. Carter's bill &

if you have not enough money to pay it let me know.     I hope

to hear that you have again heard from Bob.

                                                                                Ever your  RS.

     ___

        Mrs. Saunders