Letters of Rev. John W. Alvord

[letterhead] HEAD QUARTERS, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands STATE OF LOUISIANA New Orleans, 1865.

[in pen] Vicksburg Nov 15.

My Dears

You see I keep writing—digging away at work, trying to get along rapidly, & yet moving slowly after all. Mr Hewitt does not come down yet from Memphis—I shall wait for him until 5^oC today & then drop below as far as Natches, waiting for him there. Of course, as you saw from my last Mr. Warren —Savage, & Ray are with me. It has been raining, & is now very muddy—The first mud seen since starting —The coast of the Atlantic being only sand, except the river bottoms quite back in the Alleghanies, & of course dry.

I came back here from Jackson—The General going on by rail to Memphis—Addressed a Reg.^t of Col.^d soldiers before starting on my bank project very enthusiastically received—& have had a great meeting of Col.^d people here—All are very anxious for a Bank. The cotton crop is good & the negroes who have been cultivating it largely are now receiving their money for the crops. These lands being taken from them by the recent order of the President they will have

no other such chance for money, & are disposed to save what they have. They look ahead just like other folks.

Mr Warren is quite enthusiastic. He has never seen these things before, negroes—cotton— schools—rebels in their subjugated glory, and he is at this moment stuffing his gaping valise with specimen of whatever a valise will contain—Mr. W. is evidently to have a museum. He & Mr Savage are just in from a tour of a few hours to Davis Bend. Jeff.^s plantation &c &c. Do you want any garlic from his garden, or negroes toe nails—furniture from the gopher holes of the besieged Vicksburg—bullets, flowers, leaves, pebbles, or other curiosities of intrinsic or associated value? You will look for articles now in the Tract Journal of great interest. However Mr. W. does really seem to be waking up to some things which he had not thought of before. This meeting here away is quite providential—I am quite ^very well this morning. The rest in the rain of yesterday has quite refreshed me. My clothes a little tattered, shirts [tender?]—stockings wollen one pair only, & so of flannels—But expect to get on in some way as I have often done in the field before.

Dont expect me now till I come, in—my plans of rapid return are broken up by this avalanch of

P.S. I go on slowly as you see, but must get this distribution of army matter going thoroughly, & the young men here are much slower to move than they were in N. York. It takes a great deal of talking, but it will go. Bro. Collyer was a little too fast in his printed circular — seeming to interfere with the central com. here in Phil, but I have explained every thing, & the committee, an hour since, assured me that they would now go forward & call the convention in about two weeks. Cannot Mr. Sturgis be made the Boston delegate at least one of them — will you see to this? Leave for Baltimore 10^ocp.m. Let the samples from S.School come in Luther Box. Also samples for others if you have any to send which they have not yet had.

Yours J.W.A.

P.S. The chapter of advice ^(in the Soldiers' books)^ is severely criticised by army officers. Advises to what the soldiers cannot have — can you make a new version of it —Tell Br Warren this — Also will you ask him if he cannot make arrangements to get to Fitchburg for a coll. in all the churches — Now is the time for them

J. W. Alvord Oct 9. 1861.

but must [be} asking almost alone for the next few months.

Tell Br Warren that his last two letters are rc^d & contents noted. I have been occupied with Dr Thompson for these days past & have had no time to reply. It was important for me to be with him as he is much behind the scenes & has introduced me where I could not otherwise have gone. By his suggestion I have today reported in writing my work for the last 4 weeks to Gen'l M^cClellan. We may thus secure some advantages in the future.

Please say to wife that this is the reason why I have not written to her. Love to all —

Truly Yours J. W. Alvord

"Patriot's Banner" will be better than Patriot & Banner" I am glad you are taking so much pain with it

[sideways on right side] shall be in N. Yk. Wednesday

Washington, [Nov?] 7 /61

My Dear -

I told Br. W. yesterday that I should write to you today. Mr. Stewart of Phil. has been here 2 or 3 days & kept me from writing. He has been with me to the Camps & Hospitals. A wonderful man he is so earnest in his efforts so tender in his appeals so large hearted — this Camp work just suited him. His two daughters are with him — interesting young ladies & faithful Christians. We made a carriage load of missionaries & four hands you know could labor w advantage (two on either side of the carriage) — Mr. Stewart became so interested in the books that in his visits even to the high officers of the state & of war he has been presenting them all with samples, & urging them to patronize their circulation —no matter whether they were themselves Christians or not. I saw him doing this with a number, & he told me he gave them to the President & had a long and earnest talk with him on the subject — & the Prest. responded most cordially to what we were doing. There is no difficulty now in the way of our largest efforts but funds. I wish every body saw the white harvest field now open. I am sure they would not withhold. You ask about stockings &c. These are good & in many instances will be greatly needed. The Govt [bureaus?] are doing nobly now, & the Sanitary Commission. Miss Dix and others, are making weekly their appeals & very large supplies are forthcoming. My impression is that the souls of the men are suffering more than their bodies