Dear Phil  [Phillip Barraud Cabell]

Your letter has
just reached me in time to answer
by the boat which will leave almost
immediately–I wish I could go
up this evening to  your house but
am an present in such a peck of
trouble about an embarrassment
thrown our way by  his conscript-
tion bill, it takes away a consider-
able number of our members
who were re-enlisting men and
just as we were filled up with
a fine set of men we are thrown
back dreadfully; we shall have to
use a great deal of energy and
management to avoid being quite
ruined entirely—I will take your
horse, that is if you don’t think she’s
worth too much; a horse tough and
thrifty is what I need for the service and

[page 2]
I feel particularly obliged to you for
offering me one of your horses, after
seeing how horses suffer int he service
I don’t think one ought to get a fine
horse for the army–Please let me get
a line from you stating his price
and whether I shall send you a cheque
or deposit the amount to your account
in bank,  I’ll forward the letter
and message to Richard, and hope
he may get them but mail com-
munication is almost at an end
between here and Yorktown.  Since
I wrote we have been wretched about
the dear little baby who for 3 days
was nearly as ill as she could be with
bronchitis and catarrhal fever but
I think she is now slowly convalescing
thank Heaven  Her illness was very
sudden and violent.  Give my best
love to Miss Pink  I hope Jennie
may be able to take the baby with
her to see you all even if I should
be prevented from having that pleasure
In great haste as ever
Yours affectionately
A.Q. Holladay

Jennie would send love if
she knew I was writing.

Alexander Q. Holladay Lieutenant Co.. B, 12th Battalion Virginia Light Artillery

MSS 38-111