Item description: Letter, 10 January 1863, to Mary Elizabeth Garrett Lenoir. The name of the letter’s writer is illegible.

Item citation: From the Lenoir Family Papers, #426, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

[Mrs. Thos. I. Lenoir]

Asheville N.C. 10 Jany 1863

My dear Mrs. Lenoir

On my return from a trip to the Eastern part of the state I found your kind letter & my absence from home must be my apology for not having replied to it before this. You will I hope therefore excuse the seeming neglect for I assure you you would have had a prompt reply had I been at home. I have learned that the Captain had been sick & was sorry to hear it. I hope before this time your good and gentle nursing has been the means of restoring him for loving hands to nurse & loving hearts to cheer is a wonderful balance to the sick & suffering. I speak from experience & who so loving & so gentle as the one placed by Providence in the position that you or one like you are placed – but excuse me for reading you a homily on the subject for you will recollect I am & have been all along the same way.

I will get ready & send by first opportunity the salts castor oil. I have not yet been able to get the recipe for making glue there is but one man here that makes it & he is an old negro of the Estate of Mr. Patton, who is at present away from home as soon as he returns I will get it & send you.

Small change is hard to get – but of the shin plasters of the corporations of Asheville will answer your purpose. I could send you as much as you want in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, & 50 cts bills an equal number of each denomination. I expect all the tallow the Capt. can spare at least 150 lbs. or more.

I have heard no enquiry about mules unless he had a wagon & harness to go with them, there is man here now offering big prices for wagons & teams to haul at the salt works, could he let me know if he had the outfits for the team. If I had his horse here I could sell him directly soon as he returns I will deliver his message to him.

I looked through town in search of the [?] you wanted but can find none of any kind, am sorry we are so poor but as poverty is only an inconvenience & not a crime we must rest contented.

Clara is much obliged about the hickory nuts & can only blame old Santa Claus for not buying them and now I have a request to make, if you are making any more of that nice butter there you use & have an opportunity of sending it over I would like much to get [about?] you can spare for the family of Genl. Polk who is living here & finds it hard to procure such things here.

I have rented my home to them & we are living at the Hotel, quite a change for us, but pleasant as we could wish it besides being a great accommodation to Mrs. Polk whose family 14 in number were too large to lodge at the Hotel.

Mrs. [S] gives in kindest regards to you & the Capt. & [writes?] in the hope by this time he is quite recovered.

Yours very truly,
A. [?]

Mrs. S. says please send her a scarp of that pretty dress of yours – so many of her friends have expressed a desire to see it.