.NjI.MjExNTI

Left in R-----?  Many things
have arisen here to make me
sad & more - but nothing
has provoked me much more
than finding several medical
students, who are pretending,
to be confederates - as nothing
more than deserters -.
In a lecture, or [eulogism] - on
the late Dr. Valentine Mott that
I attended last evening - the lecturer - said with
evident pride - that the vast ma-
jority of students at the college
where Dr. Mott was professor before
the War - came from South of
the Potomac.
Speaking with a young replublican
one evening - I remarked - that as
the negroes had been compelled
to fight for them I supposed that
they would feel compelled to allow
them to vote - He [not] knowing all
of my sentiments - & faith - answered
“You see the Catholics are about
to over whelm us - & the negroes
are all protestants - & their vote
will help us to crush out the Cath-
olic power.”?    From this you
may judge what is the new scent
that the hounds of persecution are
upon.      As for me, I have met
with a few persons who have been
more than kind - never whispering
one word of the past - & truly such
men are not responsible for
the past.  The people here will
not believe how much harm the
Freedmans bureau is doing in the way
of irritating & making the old wounds
more painful than before.  God have
mercy upon us - & teach us that divine
virtue - to forgive.  A I am very bad.
Remember me to friends - If you will -
[honor] [me] - direct to J.R.W care of Dr. James R.
Wood - 80 Irving Place N.Y
        Very sincerely, JRW