The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-22
A Private Letter from the Niece of
JEFF Davis.

The Cincinnati Times has private
letter, dated Richmond, May Z, which was
written by Mira. HELEN NJ. KEARy, a niece
of JEFF DAVIS. The following is the
document:
Ny DEAR MOTHER AND FANNIE DIR.
Gwin and his son and daughter Miss
Lucy expect TO leave tomorrow or next
day for Mississippi, and Miss Lucy has
promised me that il Vicksburg is not in
the hands Of the enemy when they reach
there, that she will so out TO see you, and
let you know how am; but il she can
not get 70 Vicksburg, she says she will
arrange il so that you can get this letter
by private hands. She will spend the
summer with her uncle Gwin, in Mar
shall county Miss. Her mother is in
Baltimore, and the Yankees will not LET
her come home.
heard from Mr.. keary on Thursday;
he is quite well, but has had to bear
many hardships. The weather is very
cold and rainy, and they have had some
awful marches TO take. The Louisiana
brigade is now with Gen. Jackson, in
EwelPs division, at "Swift Run Cap"
in the mountains, between StauntOn and
Harrisonburg. You will find it on the
map Of Virginia They expect battle
| between the Yankees under Gen. Banks.
| When | think Of his situation, and the
dark gloom which now hovers over our
country, I am ready TO sink with despair,
! and would give worlds if / could only
be by my dear husbands side; but il is
! impossible. There is a probability Of
Gen. JacksOn's falling back on Richmond,
and, in view of this, no lady is allowed
| TO 60 upon the railroad TO GOrdonsyille,
for fear if allowed TO one, that many
others would wish TO do it, which would
incommode the army.
His letter to me was written in a sad
tone, which distressed me very much
he said that all his recruits but ten were
! sick, and had been sent back TO the rear,
where he was afraid they would suffer
for want of attention. They have been
obliged Officers and men) to sleep ON the
ground with very scant covering and no
! tents since last February, when the army
rctreated from Manassas. Now they
have a fly for every eight men, which
affords some protection from the rain and
snow, but very little from the cold wea-
ther. Mr.. Keary could not write TO me
for ten days after he reached there, be-
cause it was raining, and he had no shell
ter to write under to keep his paper dry.
| General Johnson is falling back from the
| Peninsula or Yorktown, and Uncle JEFF.
thinks that we had better go to safer
place than Richmond.
We have not decided yet where we
shall 60, but / think to North Carolina,
to some far-Of country town, or perhaps,
to South Carolina. | will write to you
from there the very first opportunity. If
johnson falls as far back as Richmond,
all our troops from Gordonsville and
Swift Run Gap" will also fall back to
to this place, and make one desperate
stand against Mcclellan. If you will
look at the map, you will see thSt the
Yankees are approaching Richmond from
three different directions-frOm Frcder-
icksburg, HarrisOnburg, and Yorktown
Oh, God defend this people with thy
powerful arm, is my constant prayer
Oh, mother! Uncle jeff is miserable
He tries to be cheerful and bear up
against such a continuation Of troubles;
but, oh fear he cannot live long if he
|
does not get some rest and quiet.
Our reverses distressed him so much
and he is so weak and feeble 10 makes
my heart ache TO look at him. He
knows that he ought to send his wife
and children away, and yet he cannot
bear 20 part with them, and we all dread
TO leave him, too Varina and had a
hard cry about il to-day. There was
Confirmation in the Church. to-day, and
we all hoped so much that he would 90
forward for confirmation. But he did
not; yet / have hope that he will do so
before the Bishop leaves here.
Oh, what a blow the fall of New Or
leans was 1t liked TO have set us all
crazy here. Every body looks depressed,
and the cause of the Confederacy seems
dropping and sinking; but if God is
with us, who can be against us ? Our
troops are not doing as we'll as we ex-
pected. At the battle Of Shiloh men
acted very cowardly indeed, and one
Colonel laid down behind a log, and
would not get up even when threatened
by his commanding officer with a rifle
ball if he did not return 10 his duty.
And at Yorktown, in skirmish Of Gen
eral CObb's Division, our men gave back,
and Il il had not been for a Georgia reg
iment, they would have taken some of
our best rihe-pits The regiments that
are most apt TO run are from North Caro-
lima and Tennessee. am thankful 10
say that the Mississippi and Louisiana
troops behave gloriously whenever called
on TO fight.
Uncle JEFF, thinks you are safe at home,
as there will be no resistance at Vicks-
burg, and the Yankees will hardly Occu-
py II; and even if they did, the army
would gain nothing by marching into the
country, and a few soldiers would be
afraid to 90 so far into the interior. Yet
/ feel anxious because / cannot hear from
you, You might possibly get some one
in town TO send me a letter by somebody
coming on here. There must be persons
passing constantly. Direct your letters
10 me, care Of President Davis, Richmond,
Va, and then when leave here they will
be forwarded TO me.
If Miss Gwin does not leave tomorrow
/ will try 10 get some other person who ID
going home to take It, Her brother is al
Yorktown, and, as the Yankees may make
an attack as soon as they know we are
/ retreating, and he does not wish 10 leay,
, as on the eve Of a battle--sO theymay be
delayed for several days. We think now
! ! thai ,us gb.U fg, D., RaIafUh to- mono y-4