1866-02-28_Letter-A_Alvord-to-MyDear

[in print] War Department, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. Washington, Feb 23^d, 1866.

[in pen] My Dears

I thought I should hear from you today, & fear some of you are sick. Per-haps Sammy is not as well. But hope for the best. Let mek now, whatever is true. I cannot bear suspense now as well as I could in the field. Write oftener.

Mrs Howard came in the last nights train, with children & his mother.—a nice old lady. You may know how glad the Gen'l was to see them, & to the rest of us there will be less of loneliness.

The Gen'l had a serenade last eve-ning by a Black Band. He was gone & I had to go out & make the speech for him & invite all in to hot coffee & cakes—

He returned just as they were through—so they had two speeches. His was very good.

George, I have not seen. The evenings are so pleasant that in my calls I find the pair out on promenade, so they must be well—Great excitement here. the Pres^t is out with the Rebs & Demo^s, and there has been a great get up I see in N. Yk. It was cut & dried to make the [luck?] over the [Bauer?] Bill—kept secret—& at the right moment, as you see, & great rush is made to overslaugh the land with the wave started here. The same kind of rush as that by which the Southerners carried their states into secession—We shall see. It is supposed that Congress will stand firmly. But who can tell what will be without the grace of God

Yours lovingly J. W. Alvord