Year: 1862

1


My DEAR MOTHER AND FANNIE: Dr. Gwin
and his son and daughter Miss Luey) expect to
leave tomorrow or next day for Mississippi, and
Miss Lucy has promised me that ii VieksbuTg
is not in tue hands of the enemy when they
reach there, that she win 60 out 10 see you, and
let you know how l am but if she cannot get
to fieksburg she says she viii arTangeit so that
/ you can got this letter by private hands. she
will spend the summer with her uncle Gwin, IN
Marshall county, Miss. Her mother is in Balti-
more, and the Yankees viii not let her come
home.


heard from Nj Ksafy on Thursday he is
quite well, bat has had TO bear many hafdshps.
The weather is very cold and rsiny and they
have had some awful marches to take. The
Louisiana brigade is now with GeR. Jackson, in
Ewels division, at "Swift Run Gap" in the
mountains, between Stauuton and Harrisonburg
You will find it on the map Of Virginia. They
expect battle shortly with the Yankees under
Gen Banks. When l think of his situation,
aud the dark gloom that now hOvers over our
country / am ready to sink with despair, and
would give worlds if l could only be by my
dear husbands side, but it is impossible. Thore
is probability of Gen. Jacks0n's army falling
back on Richmond, and, in view OF this, no
lady is allowed to go up on the railroad to Cor
donsyille, for fear, if allowed to one, that many
others would wish TO do it, which would ineom-
mode the army.


His letter to me was written in a sad tone
which distressed me very much-he said that sl
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 seant covering, and no tents since last
February, when the army retreated from Ma-
nassss Now they have fly for every eight
men, which affords some protection from the
rain and snow, but very little from the cold
weather. Mr.. Keary could not write to me for
ten dsyg after he reached there, because it was
raining, and he had no shelter 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 60 to safer place
than Richmond.


We have not decided yet where we shall 60,
but think to North Carolina, to some faT-oE
country town, or, perhaps, to South Carolina. /
viii write to you from there the very first oppor
tunity If johnson falls as far back as Rich
mond, ali our troops from Gordonsyills sDd
"Swift Run Gap" win also fall back TO this
place. and make one desperate stand against
Mcclellan If you will look at the map, you
will see that the Yankees arc approaching Rich
mond from three different directious-irom
Fredericksburg Harrisonburg, and Yorktown
Oh God, defend this people with thy powerful
arm, is my constant prayer On, 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 il he does not
get SOME rest and quiet.


Our reverses distressed him so much, and he
is so weak and feeble it 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 to part with them, and we all dread to leave
him, too. Varns and l had hard cry about it
to-day. There was confirmation in the church,
to-day, and we all hoped so much that lac 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 Orleans was!
It liked to have set us ell crazy here. Everybody
looks depressed, and the cause Of the Conlede
racy looks dropping and sinking but if God is
with us, who eau be against US Our troops are
not doing as well as we expected At the battle
of Shiloh men acted very cowsrdly indeed, and
one colonel laid down hehud log and wuuld
not get up even whenthrestened by his command
ing officer with rife ball If he did not return to
his duty. And st Yorktown, in q skirnish Of
General Cobb's division, our men gave back,
and if it had not been for Georgia regiment,
they would have taken some Of our best rife
pits. The regiments that are most spt to run
are from North Carolins and Tennessee. l am
thankful to say that the Mississippi and Louis
lana troops behave gloriously whenever called on
to fight.


Uncle JEFF thinks you are safe at home, as
there will be no resistance at Yieksburg, and
the Yankees viii hardly occupy it, and even if
shey did, the army would gain nothing by
marching into the country, and 8 few soldiers
would be afraid to go so far into the interior.
Yet feel anxious because l cannot hear from
you. You might possibly get some one in town to
send me letter by somebody coming on here
There must be persons passing constantly. Di-
rect your letters TO mo, care OF President Davis,
Richmond, Va, and then when l leave here they
viii be forwarded to me.


If Miss Gwin does not leave tomorrow, will
try to get some other person who is going home
to take it, Her brother is at Yorktown, and, ss
the Yankees may make an attack as soon as
they know we are retresting, aud he does not
wish to leave us on the eve of bsttle-so they
may be delayed for several days We think
now that we shall 60 to Raleigh tomorrow, but
have not positively decided yet


Your ever affectionate,


HELEN N. KEARY.


MAY 9-Siuce wiring the above, Miss Lucy
Gwin has decided not to go to Mississippi with
her father; so | shall send this By some other
opportunity. We all leave here tomorrow
morning for Raleigh. Three gunboats are now
in the James river, ~ their way to this city,
and may probably reach here in a few hours so
we may have no longer any time to delay l
would rather 90 to-day, but Ysrina imaginas
that she cannot get ready, and only hope that
we have not delayed too long already | shall
then be cut off from all communication with Mr.
Keary, and l expect to have no longer any peace.
l am afraid to think how long it may be before
| shall see him. If had known this, should
have remained with you, but have to try now
to bear al my troubles alone, without even a let
ter of sympathy from Fanny or you.


/ will write again from Raleigh, and Fanny
must write me a letter and direct it to Raleigh
perhaps I may get it. It would give me as
much comfort to hear from my dear mother and
Fanny, and to know that you are al well and
safe. l shall make my way to Mr Keary if
there is any way to do it. l am afraid that
Richmond viii fall into the hands of the enemy,
as there is no way TO keep back the gunboats
James River is so high that all the ObStructiOns
that our people have placed in the river have
been washed away so that there is no help for
the city; she will either submit, or else be
sheled, and think the latter alternative viii be
resoTted to.


Uncle jeff. was confirmed last Tuesday in st.
Paul's Church, by Bishop Johns. He was bap
tzed at home in the morning, before church


Do try to get letter to me in some way. DI-
rect some to Raleigh, and some to Richmond.


May God, in his mercy, protect and deliver US
from the misery and afiiction which now sur
round us is my constant prayer.


Yours, ever devOtedly,


HELEN M. KEARY
PeriIs Of Navigation on iIo mississippi.


The government steamer Victoria, at our
wharf Tuesday morning, presented evidences OF
decidedly rough usage at the hands OF the rebels
She was perforated with shell, and almost nd
II L Ill.