The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-28
Interesting Letter.

Interesting Letter. -
The following letter from Mrs.
Davis will be- read with interest, as
giving most graphic view of what
that unfortunate family have had to
suffer, from the time Mr.. Davis was
| separated from them on the steamer
Clyde, in Hampton Roads. All these
,lings ought to be kept green in the
memory Of Southerners:
Mill view, NEAR AUGUSTA, GA,
October 10, 1865.
Col. John j. Crdren, Chief Medical
officer, Fortress Monroe, Ia.
Ny DEAR COLONEL: Though you
remain irrevocably dumb, am sure
/ you hear me, and in addressing You
| feel as if, writing to one of my old
est and most reliable friends. Every
letter from my husband comes freight
ed with good wishes for you, and
thanks for all your kindness to him
in his hours of anguish and solitude
Can You doubt that my prayers for
you, and appreciation of your good
ness, have been even greater than his,
for could do nothing but pray? Mr..
Davis sent me carte lie oisite of your
| dear Anna, whose sweet face my baby
knows and has been taught to kiss as
| her fathers friend The baby sends
her little fan and a few white
| flowers, made in Augusta. I hope
she may like them. Mr. Davis writes
me that she has gone to the hIoravian
school, near Eastern, where, I trust,
our niece may have the pleasure OF
| seeing her.
am rendered very anxious by the
obstinacy of the erysipelas with my
suffering husband. He complains
in answer to entreaties for an account
of his condition, without conceal
ment-of loss of sleep. dread
paralysis for him, his nerves have
been 80 highly strung for years with
out relief. If you can, dear DR..
Craven, do entreat, and perhaps you
may prevail upon, the authorities to
let him sleep without light He is
too feeble to escape, and could not
bear light in his room when in
strong health. The sequel Of these
attacks has always been an attack of
amaurosis, and in one of them he
lost his eye. It first came on with an
attack of acute neuralgia. but it is
useless for me to begin to tell You of
his constitution. You must have
seen pretty we'll its peculial.ities, in
the long and kind watches YOU have
kept with him
1 had hoped to relieve his mind by
u full letter of personal narrative, but
that letter he has not received.
When hQ woe t,l fr,>,,, ~, -,
the ship, the provost Guard and some
women detectives came on board,
and after the women searched our
persons, the men searched our bag
gage.
t.ither they or the soldiers stand
iEg around took everything they fan
cled. and some things so large that r
did not see how their conduct could
escape the eye of the guard, and of
the officer who superintendent the
search. They then told my servants
that they could go ashore, if they did
not desire to go to Savannah. The
husband of my negro nurse forced
her to go, and the white girl left, from
an unwillingness to be exposed to n
Southern climate. I entreated to be
permitted to debark ut Charleston,
as my sister, Miss Howell, still con
tinued to be i'll, and | feared to re-
turn on the ship with drunken
purser, who had previously required
Col. Pritchard's authority to keep
him IN order; and going back, Mrs.
Clay, my sister and myself would be
the only women on the ship; but
this was refused. Acting rs my own
chambernaid and nurse, and the
nurse also Of my sister and Mrs.
Clay, who were both i'll, we started
for Savannah. We had fearful gale,
In which the upper decks once or
twice dipped water, and no one could
walk; but rs 1 felt as wretchcd rs
could be, did not fear future state.
God protected us from the fury of
the elements; but the soldiers now
began to open and rob our trunks
again. The crew, however, gave us
some protection, and one of the
officers in the engine room gave up
his cabin and locked everything we
had left up in it. The Lieutenant OF
the 14th Maine, Mr.. Grant, though a
plain man, had the heart of IL gentle
man, and took care of us with the
greatest assiduity. Some Of the sol
dlers and crew helped me to nurse,
and saved me many an hour Of wake
fuiness and fatigue. My little daugh-