Handwritten letter from Charleston, Sep 15th (page 1)

A handwritten letter, page 1 of multiple, in dark ink on paper with extensive red ink staining/spotting that obscures portions of the text. The date is written at the upper right; a brief note about envelopes is squeezed in at the upper left.

[Annotation at top left, in a different hand or as a side-note about stationery:]

Wm Made & recommends this kind of envelope makes Dear Sir less expense & easier Made

[Main letter begins, upper right:]

Charleston Sep 15th

We had a Telegram from Thos. 12th at the Rapidan “Safe & well”. We conclude Rapidan is the nearest Telegraph Station. Poor Henning [?] Stevens — she went on with [him?] taking a great many comforts for Henry but he had died ere she reached there. Mrs & Miss Palmer — but I will send Nelly’s letter to you. Grace will take a bale with you. Wool & 14 lbs I took out of [illegible — ink stain] of these is More than the children [&] [illegible — ink stain] be worn for common Clothes for House Servants. In the other small bundle you will find your old silk dress. Then a thin Plaid silk Skirt front Nell [&] [Hammitin?] which I [can?] send in case you Need More Lining — the Homespun also 12 yds — I Might not have an opt[ion?] to send them (Made up.) to adopt to your suggestion & Mrs Theodore will have them as soon as they ready — if you can secure the picture of the House for Seaman the deed is old — but I send it & have written to the Barrows for both. I doubt if Bother will give any this year. Aunt [Bele?] [illegible — ink stain] Mrs Lamy [&] there are plenty of [illegible — ink stain] of the kind she was shopping for when in this city of no shops. I sent a little box of Wine biscuits also in the bale & a Jelly for Jane. Martha brought three empty canisters today which will go with Grace. She asks me to write that both Marion & her infant were so sick that she had sent for Dr Huger to attend them. Grace has beside a carriage box with her clothing — The wrappers are yours — I see Kit’s name on one of them

[Letter continues on next page.]

[The Rapidan telegraph station, on the Virginia river of the same name, was the southernmost rail-and-telegraph terminus available to the Army of Northern Virginia in autumn 1863 — placing the 12 Sep telegram in the days before the Bristoe Campaign (Oct 1863). “Mrs Theodore” almost certainly refers to Mrs. Theodore Gaillard Barker — Theodore (TGB), the writer’s son, was then on Hampton’s staff.]

Caveats

• Several stained passages remain partially illegible; flagged with [illegible — ink stain] rather than guess.
• “Henning Stevens” is the best read of a faint cursive name; could be “Hominy” or another given name — flagged with [?].
• “Sorrento” in original frontmatter was not actually found in the body of page 1 on this re-read — the phrase that previously read “for Mond Sorrento” turns out to be “for House Servants. In the other / small bundle”. Removed from places.
• “Major Brown” not present on this page; removed from people.
• “Kit”, “Seaman”, “Jane”, “Bother”, “Aunt Bele”, “Mrs Lamy” are tentative readings of given/family names; preserved as-written in the body.
• The Rapidan reference (a river/telegraph station in Virginia) together with “comforts for Henry / he had died ere she reached there” suggests Civil War context (1861–1865), refining the previous 1850s date_range.