Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-06-11
NO. At.
Remarkable Correspondence - Virginia
Stealing Ladtss' Wardrobe


fore our readers the correspondence connected
with this extraordinary larceny, which places
Governor Letcher in no enyiable position
Gop. LefeheT.-SIR Leaving Norfolk sudden
ly n few weeks since, my personal and household
property remained in the ireight-house Of the
Boston steamer. have in vain tried TO recover
it--haye addressed letters 10 friends without
success. | am confident tie letters havO mis-
carried, as / cannot believe the citizens Of Nor
folk would ipiure or permit to he Injured tua
property of lady; inspection Of lac iareois "
such has been made, could only baFe eousnced
Of the improperly Of retaining them The boxes
and bundle are all marked J. o. Bradford, Ens-
ton, Mass and l most earnestly beg your Ex-
cellency will order their immediate delivery to
some responsible person, who will inform me
where may gain possession of my property.
Begging q thousand pardons for the liberty
taken, am very respectfully,
To His Excelency Governor Letcher.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 1
RICHMOND, May 81 1861.
SIR: / AN instructed by the Governor to say
in answer to your favor Of the 18Th inst, that as
it has pleased you to denounce your boy and
cast him from your care and protection, because
of his fealty to Virginia, His Excellency is dis
posed to retain for his benefit the property to
which you refer as being detained in Norfolk
5. BAssETT FRENCH,
A. d. c. to the Governor Of Virginia.
Mr.. IL. NJ. Bradford, III Arch street. Phiada'
lmRs. SIS REPLY TO GOV. l..
PHILADELPHIA, May "a 1861.
Cor. Leteher.-Sm Through your clerk
have just received an answer to my communion
tion of the 18th As my signature was Mrs. II.
NJ. Bradford, cannot understand why the au-
swer was addressed 10 "H. NJ. Bradford sir
In the part Of the country in which was edu-
eated Il is not the custom for gentleman TO
l,ffsx 10 bta n,fN H. 4frga nnit
as lady appealed to you as as gentleman to
order the delivery Of my property. The writer
Of the remarkable document bearing ihe no less
remarkable address, seems to he much be,..ar
Informed of my family affairs than myself as this
is the fret intiHaation 1 have received that my
son has been discarded or cast off On the con-
trary, he will be most warmly welcomed home
at any moment, dud be supplied with more suit
able clothing than the summer wardrobe Of his
mother and sister will afford. My boy must be
strongly altered in the few weeks since saw
him, II he can be induced to accept the property
Of bis mother and sister, even if retained by
order of your sxceeucy. ln his previous life
he has been upright and honorable, aud never
was known TO appropriate the possessions Of
Others, and feel sure this generous attemp, to
supply him with the means Of subsistence will
be most Indignantly rejected. Ii this is not the
case, he has indeed degenerated-
Respectfully, Mrs II. NJ. BRADFORD.
10 His EzcelieRcy, GoverRor Lacher.-Sir;
have received from my wife copies Of her cor
respondence with you. ] had myself written
several letters TO former friends 10 Norfolk IN
relation to the property, but declined making
any application TO the State authorities yet
when Informed by my wife that she had done ~,
did not doubt that immediate restoration would
be ordered for while have seen enough To de-
stroy all confidence in the integrity and honor,
personal and official, with few exceptions, OF tie
Virginia rebels, could not suppose that Gov
ern0r Letcher could descend so low as rob
family leaving the State of their wearing apparel
and necessary household goods. And for the
reason, too, that l had been faithful to my 0h-
legations OF duty and honor, faithtul to my yows,
and true 10 the flag which, next to my Maker, is
the object of my seneration.
To the rudest barbarians there is a charm in
fidelity which exeites their highest admiration
but with your Exeeliency ard your chifnlrous
Vrginians, who claim as springing from your
peculiar institutions q higher civilization,
purer morality and a holier faith. this savage
virtue is adjudged on offence, aud as punish
ment you have stripped me and mine Of every
thing in your power, not sparng US bed, blanket,
towel or napkin. fork or spoon. With few exs
ceptiOns, every valuable article there stolen was
the personal property of my wife and daughter.
And most of it TO them had special value as
the gifts Of affection and friendship-the gather
ing Of many years ia various parts Of the globe,
and which money can never replace
II is difficult to realize TINT such piece oil
vandalism could be perpetrated in our country
in this our day. Alas, for the poor old COM
monwealth, the land Of Washington the mother
of Presidents, committing petty larceny that
would shame q respectable bandit ]
Southerner, but thank God, have not 10 blush
that am Virginian.
As regards your Excellency's statements in
relation to my son, will simply say to you thR;
is info xuha
/ recognize, I would tell them it was false, VIII
fully and deliberately false, and but shallow
subterfuge, to cover up the iRfamy of the theft
The traitorOus band around the boy could, it
they would, bear witness to my constant ard
anxious efforts to save him, and my earnest ap-
peals TO induce him to remain with Aud it
was a last effort said to him in the presence of
the officers Of the Pennsylvania, my son, you can
make your election, but If you DOW see proper
to desert your father and mother, and the flag
| you have been taught to revere, remember, from
this day you are to hp to me an alien and
stranger Your death would be thousand
times preferred to your dshonor And we would
gladly, joyfully follow you to the narrow home
rather than you should affiliate with traitors
against such Government and such institutions
| as never before blessed the lot Of man. lie was
! a boy of fine promise, of g0ody presence, bravo
| and honorable character but his generous i'm
pulses, his ardent sympathies were excited by
| tho constantly repeated falsehOOds about North
ern expressions and Southern wrongs and su0.r-
ings. His detection was a bitter cup, h,asy
blow. And when his mother. a lady, resp c,.
fully appealed to your Excsllency, was it mar b,
was it decent, to thus insult her II cid Nir'
! ginia in her poverty and degradation, needs ihl
property and money she has stolen from ui
| land, divided in sentiment, bankrupt in credit
and reputation, God knows she does why, take
it all, use it as best you may-rafie, huckst y
and auctioneer it off to the highest bidder, hut
don't add TO the turpitude of the robbery tAc
meanness of deceit and falsehOod. NJ bpy
would not, il he could touch farthing ct iAc
piuuder And your Excellency well klows he
could not if he would. have no doubt, before
this, the packages have been broken open eni
the contents seized upon by the hungry atl
, needy subjects of the Old Dominion, Proud oli
STATE glorious in tradition and history, how hos
, she faiieni Governor Wise said the people at
, Harper's Ferry behaved like sheep, when h.
tackled by old John Brown, and the larceny ei
my goods by the r. F. Of Norfolk, proves th7i
, the deterioration is not local
, Your Excellencys ob't serv't,
j. o. BRADFoRn,
Paymaster U. S. Navy
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