Henrietta Webb Letters

Feb 14th 1862

My very dear son

This is the day Ade said she was to have hollyday and you had promised to take her out in the country to make you a visit, this morning when the sun was shineing so pleasantly I felt that I would like so much to be there to go with you, sometimes a bright wish of this kind comes over me and then a sad feeling like a [sparing?] cloud seems [?] over and makes it dark again.

I think of you a great deal my son, and feel comforted knowing you pray fervently for me and my poor soldier boys, how my heart bleeds for them, so young, and surrounded by so much vice. They who have the command of them are profane men who have "no fear of God before their eyes"

{the following is the sideways text:} Bro. Dick, I intended writing you this week, but as ma had written I will postpone until another time. I was at Salem last Sat. Mr. [?] didn't get to see us as he expected to do. The rain Saturday presented his coming here from Clover Garden.

In much love your sister [?]

The Register is [?] paper & I have to send it to him, or I would send it to you sometimes. Did you get two papers I sent you not long since? Bro. [?] went to Charlotte last week & brought back his stock of goods, molasses & sugar [?] in his [?] We heard from Sister Saturday - She scribbled over 3 pages of a large sheet of letter paper & there was but one finished sentence in the whole. This indicates no mental im provement. Mrs. Fisher wrote a few things. She said Sister's health had been pretty good since I was there in Dec & she was quite [?] for her. She seems pretty well for her this week. She is always in more of [?] trouble about something. Two of our [?] took a [?] leave of us Sunday. Our boarders had been rather unmerciful in [?] a [?]; by some means, Mr. B heard of it - & to ignite them [?] [?] own [?] blocked 6 of them at his study Friday evening [?] while a [?] among the rest of Rob[?] & [?] L to spite themselveves, left. Mane Ann is still poorly - not able to do any thing. The rest of us are good. I have 6 pupils this week; so you see my responsibilities are multiplying. Bettie [?] is in Asheboro spending some weeks with Line. Our neighborhood is very quiet now. The ladies have all been bloackaded at home for some weeks past by the mud but if the sun shine & wind, we have today, continue, the blockade will soon be rased.

Wednesday after noon. At Home: Uncle S[?] has just left here. He [?] Laura home with him. The sick ones at his house are better. Adeline's babe died. John Snipes is up on a visit to his wife. Ricky [?] Stanford was in Person[?] last week when brother was down, still unable to return to his Reg. Bro. says he don't take any care of himself. [?] Mrs. enjoys good health in the army. She is some where near Savannah. Ann sends a great deal of love and says she had a letter in store for you, but hasn't had time to put it on paper. She is glad to find I am writing. Sam's [?] now are two minnows he has had in a pitcher of water for more than a week. She feeds them & says he believes they grow. He has a diminutive net he sinks in the kitchen every few days to see if the fish can still go this [?] meshes. This is the way he measures them to ascertain whether or not they grow. I was at Salem last Sab. Mr. [?] preached from "Preach the word; be instant in season & out of season; Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering & [?] Your name was called in C[?] meeting. How I wished you were there to answer to it. May we meet in Heaven, prays, your fond sister. SAW.