My dearest Wife:

My heart was made glad last evening by your

letter which came wit two others from home dated the 20th & 22nd.

I am glad you continue well my dearest and I look upon it as one

of the many blessings our Good Lord heaps upon us at tall times and

especially now when there is so much sickness & suffering all around.

I have some good news for you. Uncle Philip has some business

to be transacted in Richmond and some papers & other things to be

went home & he is going to send me–So you may look out for me

some day this week or the first of the next. I wish to go home

also before I return & shall expect you to go up with me if possible

Or we may stop at Bremo as sister & mother somewhat ex-

pect to pay a visit there soon. How happy I am dear Pink

that I will see you so soon. Then you wont toss about so much

on your sleepless bed–I shall probably not write again before I

see you.

We had an alarm here evening before last, learning that the enemy

was making quite a formidable demonstration near our outer line–

The whole Brigade started off about sundown & marched nearly

six miles in the direction of Fairfax C.H. when an aid of Genl Jackson’s

met our staff telling us it was a false alarm & then all the

poor fellows had to march back to quarters in the night. I certain

-ly congratulated myself then on being on horseback. Uncle P. said

he was more fatigued than he was the day of the battle.

If the enemy moves at all in this direction I do not believe he

will be ready in two weeks more, And I strongly suspect he will

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not come at all, but will probably attack some weaker point.

I have a great deal to tell you about which I cannot put

on paper now, and as I may reach you as soon as this

will close now. I am acting as Provost Marshall of this

post and as fast as I begin a sentence some one comes

in for a pass and all my ideas are scattered to the winds.

Writing passes for white people is rather a novel idea at least to the

darkey population.

I thought at one time of surprising you with my little visit

but was afraid of the effects of it. I hope this may reach you

before I come–Good bye my precious my loved wife

take good care of yourself & always love as you do now

Your devoted Husband

P[hilip] B[arraud] C[abell]

My love to Alex. & Jennie & the chldren. Try and be ready to go

up wit me when I come as I shall not remain with your father

longer than I am obliged to

Philip Barraud Cabell, 1836-1904, nephew of General Philip St. George Cocke (to whom he refers in the letter) and grandson of University of Virginia founder General John Harwell Cocke, was one of the few antebellum students at the University of Virginia to obtain a master’s degree. After the war he was a professor at Urbana University in Ohio, and later a minister of a Swedenborgian church in Wilmington Delaware. His wife Julia Calvert Bolling Cabell known as “Pinkie”, had been a popular Virginia belle before her marriage six months previously.

MSS 38-111