Year: 1862

The following is the document.


My Dear Mother and Fannie DR.. Gwin
and his son and daughter Miss Lucy expect
to leave Tomorrow or next day, for Mississippi,
and Mss Lucy has promised nie that if Vicks-
burgh is not in the hands of the enemy when
they reach there, that she will go out to see
you, and let you know how / am but if she
cannot get to Vicksburgh, she says she will
arrange it so that you can get this letter by
private hands. She will spend the Summer
with her uncle Gwin, in Marshall 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 hard
ships The weather is very cold and rainy.
and they have haa some awful marches to
! take. The Louisiana Brigade is now with
Gen. Jackson, in Ewelrs Division, at "Swift
Kun Cap, IN the mountains, between StauDtou
and Harrisenburgh You will fDd it on the


nap of Virginia. They expect battle short
| Iy with the Yankees under Gen. Banks. When
think of his situation, and the dark gloom
that now hovers over our country, l am ready
to sink with despair, and would give worlds if
! were only by my dear husbands side but it
IS impossible. There is probability Of Gen.
Jackson's army falling back on Richmond. and.
in view of this, no lady is allowed to go upon
the railroad to GordonsVile, 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 sad tone, which dis
tressed 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 nen) to sleep on the
ground with very scant covering, and no tents
since last February, when the army retreated
from Manassas. Now they have fly for
every eight men, which affords some protec-
ton from the rain and snow, but very littlo
from the cold weather Mr.. Keary could not
write TO me for ten days after he reached there
because it was raining, and he had no shelter
to write under to keep his paper dry. Gen.
l. johnson is falling back from the Peninsula OF
Yorktown, and Uncle jeff thinks that we had
better go to a safer place than Richmond We
have not decided yet where shall go, but
think to North Carolina, to some far-off country
town, or, perhaps, to South Carolina | will
write to you fl ON there the very first opportu-
nifty. Ii johnson falls as far back as Rich
mond all our troops from Gordonsvie ard
- Swift Run Gap" will also fall back to this
place, and make one desperate stand against
Mcclellan. Ifyou will look at the map, you
will that the Yankees are approaching
Richmond from three different directions
Fl ON Fredericksburgh, Harrisonburgh and
Yorktown. Oh! God, defend this people with
thy powerful arm, is my constant prayer. Oh,
mother, uncle eff. S miserable. He tries to-
be cheerful and bear up against such con-
Ii .uaton of troubles, but Oh, | fear that be
cannot live long if he does not get some rest
and quiet. Our reverses distress him 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 ws
all dread to leave him, too. Farina and | had
a hard cry about it to-day. There was Contir-
nation in the Church, to-day, and we all
hoped so much that he would go forward for
a. 4 7 .zSI-oA
he will do So before the Bishop leaves here.
Oh what blow the fall of New Orleans vast
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 Ged is with who can be against Us ? Oar
troops are not doing we'll expected.
At the battle of Smloah many of our men acted
very cowardly indeed, and one Colenel laid
down behind log and would not get up even
when threatened by his commanding officer
with rife ball if he did not return to his duty.
And at Yorktown, in a Skirmish of Gen CoBBS
Division, our men gave back, and If 1t had not
been for Georgia regiment, they would have
taken some of our best rit1e-pits. The regi-
nleats that are most 0pt to run are from North
Carolina and Tennessee. | am thankful to say
that the Mississippi and Louisiana troops be-
have g.orieusly whenever called on to light.
Uncle JEFF. thinks you are safe at home, as
there Will be resistance at Vicksburgh, and
the Yankees will hardly occupy it; and even
il they did the army would gain nothing by
marching into the country, and few soldiers
would be afraid to go so far into the interior.
Yet feel anxious because | cannot hear from
you. You might possibly get some one in
town to send me letter by somebody coming
oa here. There must be persons passing con-
stantly. Direct your letters to me, care of
President DAVIS Richmond, Va, and then
when l leave here they will be forwarded to
me.


If Miss Gw1N does not leave tomorrow, I
will try to get some other person who is going
home to take it. Her brother is at Yorktown
and as the Yankees may make an attack as
soon as they know we are retreating, and as he
does not wish to leave on the eve of battle
so they may be delayed for several days. We
think that we shall go to Raleigh to-mor-
row, bat have not positively decided yet


Your ever affectionate,


HELEN NJ KEARY.


MAY 9.-Since writing the above, Miss Lucy
GwIN has decided net to go to Mississippi with
her father F; SO / shall send this by some other
opportunity. We all leave here tomorrow
morning for Raleigh. Three gunboats are now
IN the James River, on their way to this city,
and may probably reach here in few hours,
so we have no longer any time to delay. L
would rather go to-day, but VARINA imagines
that she cannot get ready. and only hope
that we have not delayed TOO long alreaoy.
shall then be cut off from all communication
with Mr.. KEARY, and 1 expect tc have no longer
any peace | 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 all my troubles alone,
without even letter of sympathy from FAHNE
or you. l will write again from Raleigh, and
FANNY must write me letter and direct it to
Raleigh perhaps 1 may get it. 1t would give
me so much comfort to hear from my dear
mother and FANNIE, and to know that you were
all well and safe. shall make my way to Mr..
KEARY if there is any way to do it. am afraid