Lexington, VA
Dear Sister Mary,
You are at school I suppose taking in learning in junks as big as my fist and then to settle it go home and trot little May on your knee. Wa'll there is nothing like improvement "go it while you are young", if I could live over my life again I would study and no mistake. Oliver is well or was last Sunday he was down here and as fine as a new band boy, it would make you laugh and no mistake to see him try to drink buttermilk. The people here use that as "the drink" as much as we do water, if you should drop into where he is about noon, you would find him seated on a stump with what is call a "corn dogger" in his hand that is made of indian meal wet up with water and baked in the ashes and is his other hand a gourd of buttermilk that is as thick as ice cream, on this he is growing fat, it is enough to make any one grin their eye teeth out, to see what a pretty face he makes as he devours this tempting feast. He looks as though he would have "snake and mild" that father used to tell of before it.
I suppose that you are all well. It is healthy here I have not heard of half a dozen deaths since I have been round here. The farmers have all finished harvest and never was better weather but it has rained now two days and looks as though it meant to keep it up.
Last Tuesday was the fourth of July. I left out school and went into town. It was commencement day at the Virginia Military Institute and the Governor of the State was there to sign the diplomas attended by the State Brass Band. The cadets marched from the Institute which is about half of a mile from the town preceded by the band which consisted of about a dozen old rusty looking fellows that blew a soul stirring march with fury enough to wake the dead and make live ones hold their ears. The cadets were about 90 in number dressed in gray coats with skirts about as wide as my hand an 8 inches long and white pants, they are a good looking company and after going through with their evolutions they marched into the meeting house then the cadets made several speeches in praise of war of the institute telling what her sons had done on the plains of Mexico and with what pride the people ought to cherish it. After they were all through, Gov. Smith was introduced. He was received with much applause and with many bows commenced. He was just about as venerable looking a man as Uncle Gersham Finn. He said "that he was happy to be called upon to give advice to young men like them just entering upon life and the first thing that he wished them to do was to hope for a bright day for tomorrow. The next thing that he advised them to do was to get married no young man could be any thing till he was married. He never heard of a smart man that was a bachelor, (never heard of John Randolph) never knew of a quarrel to take place between a man and a woman but the man was to blame. He had lived a long life and was capable of giving advice to young men as a father to his children. There was two books that he would recommend to all young men The first was the Bible, the next Shakespeare, all young men should read and profit by both" and so he went on in a regular stirring speech praising the ladies then telling the young men they must not try to win them by flattery for they were rational beings and despised flattery. He went into the praise of Va, he said that while other states were progressing in dollars Va was progressing in the mind, and so he went on in a soul stirring amid cheers that were deafening. This was my first sight of a real Gov. and it did not give me a very good opinion of the race.
My knife is just about as good as a tool one would be. Tell father if he will send by Orve Platt to Litchfield and get one of the Holleys pen knives I will pay him for his trouble, get on about the size of this if he can. If he can find more of Holleys send me a good hard one of somebodies that is sharp to begin with and I will send him another dollar as soon as I receive it.
I have got some flower seeds and will send them one of these days, my school is half out and then I don't know what I shall do, whether I shall come home or stay, or There is no news stirring here not so much as a weeding, it is too hot even for that. Give my love to all and write soon, have you heard anything of Julia yet and where is she, I expect a letter from home at the office if it is there I will put a mark on the outside of this to let you know it is rec'd.
I have not got a letter from Mrs. Garnett yet if she has written send no word.
Westwood, Lexington, Va
Dear Sister Mary,
There was a sale here the other day of the Doctor's goods and the way the liquor flew want to be beat. The raw material was set before them by the pail full and two thirds of those assembled went home scarcely able to set on their horse. Is all that spree of marrying over. I was coming home expecting to find Lev All, Sam Hollister, John Hine, Jim Mitchen with a baby on each knee and rocking a cradle with each foot, if they don't look out their day of grace will soon be over. If Uncle Andrew don't get married now he has got to quit having his sprees. If the boys had any life they would plague him till he would butt his brains out against a pumpkin or leave the world and climb a tree. If the girls are all engaged let me know and I will look out elsewhere as I have no doubt the best fish are yet to be caught. You would probably like to know how Oliver looks. I will give you his appearance as he looked when he retuned from preaching yesterday. His hair is long and black, his whiskers as black as a coal, his long mustaches black as you please, give him quite a dignified appearance. He has grown taller than he was last fall and his belly shows the effects of buttermilk and its rising qualities. It puts one in mind of a toad that has just swallowed a snake. I tell him that he will crack open like Gid Hollister's sheep and let the tallow out, if he don't refrain from the use of buttermilk as a beverage tea totally and entirely. You must write as soon as you get this, as the Lord only knows whether I shall stay round here and longer than this quarter and I hardly believe he does for I alter my mind so often. Tell Aunt Amarilli's that she must not entirely forget the Yankee boys in the Old Dominion. That she must take time to give us a few lines of motherly advice as now is the time that we need it. I often think of her and her counsel and if I was religious I would put up a prayer for her but as I am not I will send my love. Also a huge slice to little Albie with half a dozen kisses.
Give my love to all my kith and kiss and make a bow to deacon Albernatha for me the first time you see him. Tell Mrs. Garret that I am well and I hope she is the same. I shall answer Father's letter in about a week. Tell him to have his pen sharpened as to answer instantly.
Lexington, Va
Dear Mary and Susan,
[Hand-written upside down at the top of this page]
Lexington, Va
Dear Mary
They had a monstrous fuss round here the other day. A letter was found in the road "purporting to be from one niggar to another holding forth that on such a night they were to rise. 300 men were to attack the Military Institute and get possession of the 20,000 stand of arms in the arsenal there. Then they were to walk into the city of Lexington killing all they could get hold of". You had better believe that it made some stir. he militia was called out and they now parade the streets from night to morning It is curious how quick the people of this country can be roused to a state of watchfulness for their all depends upon this. The blacks must have no chance to make a beginning and they know this. I think the letter was a hoax written by some one to see what they could do, but if it was written by a niggar, it was by some one who knew the state of things at the Institute well and if their plans had succeeded it would have been right hard to stop.
I has been right dull times this Christmas not more than three or four frolicks all the times I wish I could drop in there and see how you all look but I do not think you would any of you know me. I have altered a good deal in the last six months.
How does Uncle Sherman and Sam do this winter? Do you like to live there? How is Aunt Jennette heal and all of Uncle Truman's folks? How is Grandfather's folks? All well and how does he stand the times? I meant to write a letter to Father before this time but there is nothing going on here that will interest him when there is I shall write to him. Tell Susan that I want her to write to me, and I will answer it, but if she don't write soon I will get mad and write a long one to her.
Ellen I suppose is still in New Preston and Oliver is peddling. How does Sam do this winter and is he going to school? Has Father got all of his thrashing done and h9ow is his health?
There is nothing new to write about here so what is the use of writing.
Give my love to all inquiring friends let me know all the news at home when you write. Farewell.
Dear Molly,
1stly I am still pedagoguing and I tell you it goes mightily against the grain such a day as today for it is one of the pleasantest days I ever knew. The thermometer at noon was nearly up to summer heat at noon and I had no fire in the schoolhouse. My school consists of about forty scholars most of them large boys some of them taller than I am. I have enjoyed myself first rate so far especially in bad weather but when it is fine I intend to do the best I can but I long to be out aboard of the old pump wagon scouring the country. It gives a person a chance to see the world and though it may make me wild now when I come to settle down, I shall put on as long a face as I deacon.
2ndly. Ol. (though I had ought to have put him first) is now in Randolph County which is about one hundred and fifty miles west or northwest from here. He has been gone now about three weeks and I do not much expect him back before the middle or last of March. It is a great region there for pumps. I intend to go there as soon as my school is out and shall probably be there off and on the greater part of the summer.
The people around here are getting up to murdering. Last August in Staunton a man was found dead in his bed with his head staved in with a hammer. In December they hung a man for it and he died protesting his innocence; day after tomorrow they are to hang another man as his accomplice who as yet declares himself innocent.
They were both convicted by another man who turned states evidence; and it is now the general opinion that he did the deed himself.
Two weeks last Sunday was noted in Lexington for a tragedy worse than that. It seems that a young man by the name of Christian had engaged the company of a young lady to go to preaching. She was advised not to go with him by a cousin of hers, a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. Christian (who was a law student) found out who it was and prepared himself with weapons and on Sunday night waited till he saw Blackburn the Cadet come into the church with a lady then he stepped up and touched him requesting to say a word to him. He took him out into the street and by his tale demanded of him to retract what he had said upon Blackburn's refusing so to do he let in on him and before any one could interfere had stabbed him in several places and cut his throat from ear to ear with a bowie knife and killed him so dead that he never kicked. Christian then went and delivered himself up to the authorities and it is now the general opinion that he will get clear as the prosecution was so great. You see how nice a sense of humor the southerners have. In law here if our man calls another a liar and he beats him almost to death for it the law does nothing with him for it is considered sufficient provocation.
I reckon you have heard enough about murders if not I could tell you of some half dozen more that have happened in this region during the last six week. I do not expect I will come home this summer. I wish you were here to take my school when it is out. Virge says "do tell her to come down here and I will go back with her when she wants to go". Hess is not at home but will be next Saturday (if I can get time to go after her).
If mother has that carnation rooted if she will send it over to John's he will attend to it and give it to Bob Dunlap before he come home. I bought a cooking stove for Mr. Morrison in NY last August and last week it got here. If you want to come on here you can come with Bob. I know he will take good care of you.
Where is Father going to plant and how is his health? Have you had much cold weather this winter? Give my best love to Father and Mother and Sam and tell Sam I want to hear from him before long.
I shall write to Jen as often as you write to me whilst I am teaching school but farther than that I can't answer for. Ol was down to Bransons during Christmas they were all well.
Give me love to Louis if you are still up there. My candle is out. Write soon and give me all your news.
PS Virge says tell him I am wearing carpet as strong as a horse
Preston LibraryVirginia Military Institute345 Letcher Ave.Lexington, VA 24450-0304