Henrietta Webb Letters

Addie, the chrysanthamums are so pretty now. I wish you had some. The young rose bushes are growing fiercely. I have set out seven or eight [of them?] [?] as many more to put out. The scarlet [?] has a bud on it. I hope the frost will hold off until it blooms. Your reports came Monday. I send yours to you, [?] [?] hasn't seen it yet. Jimmie came up late [Sun?] evening, just as the evening star appeared in the west, said he was going to stay all night with us. Happening on the [piazza?] shortly after dark the [?] sung, [?] dot a heap of stars and we aint got but our. At bed time he began to beg to go home and I had to carry him. When we got to his gate, he looked up and eclaimed, "[?], all grandma's stars done come to our house! Me's got one, two four, [?]" While I was writing this sentence Jim and his pa came in. I asked what I must tell Addie. He said tell her, "big A for Addie, and [?] A for Addie." He is very [fat?].

[The following is the sideways text:] Ma went [?] to see Janie yesterday evening. He hasn't been to see us since he moved. Tommy has just come in with arms full of flowers and I have made a magnificent flower pot and perched it up on the [safe?] for the admiration of the family and all comers and goers. The parlor is full of flowers was [?] their beauty and fragrance in the air. Our love to [?] Dick. I received his letter. I will [pay?] my respects to it when I get time. Mrs. C. [Morrow?] [?] [acted?] at Bette. [?] and [?] [?]. My love to all my girls.

In love and haste, your sister, Susan

[Line?] , please send this letter right back, as brother will wish to see it upon his return, We expect him home [?] LAW

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 [?]

Remember poor Gaston in your prayers, they are now expecting an attack at Wilmington I am glad he has a praying Captain

Tomorrow is your birth day my dear and I pray you may have renewal of grace and wisdom given you from above to preach the gospel in its light and purity.

Susan is at school and Laura has gone down to brother S____, Ellen is not well We don't hear much from dear Etta, Mrs Fisher wrote two weeks ago said she was as well as usual. A letter from Alexa and Sa____ each this week they were well. I did not receive either of his boxes. Do you write to them? I want you to go and see Ade and Betty as often as you can I think Ade must need some thick shoes. If you need anything from home get on your horse and come we will be so glad to see you. Your Brother James, John, and Sam went fishing with nets yesterday evening but did not succeed in netting any fish. Sidney went to Charlot last week and bought a few goods. Mary is still sick not able to do any work since you left. May Heavens richest [Helping?] be around you my dear son is the sincere prayer of your mother.

Mary sends love to you.

This will be a great help. We have had a plenty of nice fat ___[?] in the last week or two and ___ [?] understands cooking it pretty well. I have just rec'd a letter from Tip since I began to write. He was at Greensboro. He tells me ___ [?] of his belonging to the 13th reg. N.C. now at M___[?]. I am anxious to hear from him. His letter was written over a week ago. How is sister Etta? You haven't mentioned her in your last letters. We have had much wet weather lately. Now the rain is falling on the tent [?]. I hope to see fair weather again soon. I suppose ___[?] of you __ this have seen Capt. ____[?] and he has told you all the news about how we are situated. We are almost entirely surrounded by water. This prevents a great deal of __ [?]

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as it signing a [?] fewer number of [s?], [?] & [?] my chill tomorrow. I think I shall pay Mrs. Rowe another visit. [?] will [?] be uneasy about me. I will soon be well again and [?] to stand any-thing. As I said when I started, I have [?] to [?] well [?] my [?] [?] [?] [?], [?] [?] Mr. Mr. [?] [?] [?] your fond brother Avery (?)

nearly every man in our regiment would have gone if this hadn't been the case. Now they will be afraid to trust to going home at all unless they reenlist after our time is out. I tell you we would suspend our pay for twelve months rather than be cheated out of going home. We have learned to appreciate home and [---?] visiting home at all [happily?]. Our love of home was the cause of our [coming?] here, and surely after being about for twelve months we of course wish to visit our friends again. We have just heard of our success at Fort Donelson which will compensate in a degree for the roanoke disaster. Everything is quiet here except our pulse. We are blockaded by rain , snow & mud. we are still in our tents, though we hope to be out of them by the middle of May, to go with [---?] I hope you will pray for me frequently I need the prayers of my friends. I have been blessed with health. A good many around a shaking with chills or has chills with fever, or prostrated by pneumonia, while I am stouter & stronger than I ever was. I weigh over a hundred and forty pounds now and am still growing . Our simplified [---?] diet is no doubt the cause of it. You speak of the distilleries. I tell you they are giving a good deal of [—?] to the soldiers. If we have a [d--?] next year where will get corn, The [convention?] should put a stop to it immediately. They should be held responsible Give my love to all our friends & wish [---?] to your off. Brother W--

_____ [?] Feb. 12th 1862.

Sawney, dear, your letter to me of the 6th inst- written with a pencil, came to hand Monday night. It came thro in a shorter time than my letter has done from you in a long time. We were glad to hear your very well enjoying such good health, and we hope & pray that this inestimable blessing may be continued to you until your term of service expires. Good order & good health are desirable in every place - but I should think more to be desired in camp than most any where else. "Aminadab" in his fast letter gave a minute description of your Reg. hospital & guard house. He had been in both, found them not very pleasant places, particularly the hospital, said he was writing from the guard house, to which he had been sent for some misdemeanor. He was orderly Sergeant of His Chatham Rifles," but had been redressed to ranks [?]. Bro. J. says he deserves to be punished, if for nothing else, for his want of patriotism which is conspicuous in nearly every letter. To gratify our curiosity, do give us his true name.

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.