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[letterhead] "National Freedmans' Savings and Trust Company," AMERICAN EXCHANGE BANK BUILDING, No. 87 CEDAR STREET, NEW-YORK, 1865.
[in pen] Mobile, Al., Mobile Nov. 3d. 1865
My Dears
After much delay we are here in the harbor of Mobile—the storms have de-tained us so that we get along slowly, & I suppose you do not wish us to run any great risks. All well—But I hardly know whether I have yet told you who we all are, Maj Genl O. O. Howard—R. B. Howard his brother & private secretary—Major Stinson an aid, & myself make the party—We had Brvt. Brig. Genl C. H. Howard as far as Tallahassee, from which place he returned to Charleston— We are taken from St Marks to N Orleans in the Steamer Convoy, and in charge of Gen'l Forsyth who is on board— a govt Boat—Pretty comfortable
Morning—Have been ashore—seen the city, and had a great meeting with the Cold. people—While full of rebellion—treat us coolly. There are good schools
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here for the Negroes—we saw one of 600 pupils which appeared just as well as any white schools at the north, though not so advanced. Compositions speaking, dialogues &c—with geography & arithmetic we listened to most satisfactorily—Besides this there are 5 evening schools and 8 or 10 smaller day schools, the lattter taught solely by the Cold. people themselves.
My Bank will go here. Cotton makes lively business for the present, & money with all laborers is plenty. 30, or 40 heavy ships are in port loading with cotton, Sammy would like to see the great steam cotton presses which mash it into Bales so that it can into the hold of ships. Jonny would jump about a-mong the crowds of little colored boys. They are a laughing set.
We see the obstruction put down in the harbor on all sides—Poor vain attempt to succeed in their rebellion—Tell Sammy the biggest boats ^here^ -as large as oceans steamers—have only stern wheels, great things, that go swashing along & the boats are three stories. They would tip over easily if they went out to sea and they only go through a narrow channel from here to N. Orleans. We are now ready to start, & the
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pilot is coming on board. We pay him $ 100 to take us to that city.
Your letters are there of course. After a few days we go up the river to Vicksburg & then I shall part with the General & go by Montgomery to Augusta & down to Savannah and Charleston a-gain—So please direct all your letters to me there Care Gen.l R. Saxton as before. The transfer of the Beaufort Savings Bank, which I could not perfect in the little time we had coming on—takes me that way. After that I shall come home, perhaps over land possibly—not if I can help it, in a ship from Charleston. In the latter case I shall see you first as then there will be no stop in Washington before coming. But will write you from N.O. or Vicksburg—
Love to all as the Sailors are shouting us off—
Affectionately, as ever J. W. Alvord
Write me at once & of every thing to Charleston S.C.—
