[The following letter contains this letterhead:]
Office of PALMER, BUCHANAN & CO.,
Successors to Palmer, Ackerman & Co.
George W. Palmer, Manufacturers of Salt, Ground Plaster, &c., &c.
Benj. K. Buchanan,
George B. Parker, Saltville, Va, 24 May 1863
W. Alex. Stuart.[According to Robert E. Lee Krick, Alex Stuart was a brother of General J.E.B. Stuart.]
My dear Little Nannie:
I was glad to hear through the second
from Our Mother that you are improving so rapidly & so likely {Nannie gives birth to a girl, Lizzie.]
to be well again soon – I was very much worried by not being
able to be with you on account of the late starting of two
of our salt Furnaces which are doing finely and I could not
leave them just then because I had no experienced help to
whose management I could safely commit them – I afterwards
employed an experienced hand who stayed with us but
one night & returned home on account of sickness but for
this last reason I should have been with you before now –
I hope to arrange for another man this week & if I do I will
go down to Lynchburg in two or three days thereafter unless
I hear you are no better in which event I will leave
any hour –
The three arbiters for the valuation of Stuarts Buch-
-anan & Co’s property could not agree in their views & left
early this week for Richmond to arrange for possession of
the same under the seizure alternative provision of the
law it is thought by some – The Agent appointed by
the state is said to be Autocratic in his purposes &
speaks of the seizure of other property also – Of Course
however he must conform to the law which when
properly interpreted may not confer the power –
[page 2]
Chris Scott has been here three or four days & seems
to be much pleased with my work & the operations
of our lately started works – When we get fully under
way we can make a world of salt for which
we are not at present prepared with storage room –
I have since his arrival just layed off & commenced
the hauling of lumber for two large salt house 100
feet long by 20. feet in width – I wish we were
done building –
I stayed one night last week with
Prof. Davis at the College – He lives & entertains in
a large tolerably nice brick building – His wife seems
to be a kind hearted person but he looks untidy – We
and Lizzie can board there or we can board at
Mr Findlay’s in Abingdon if you prefer it –
Mr. Findlay was here this week & I tried to
hire or buy one of his servant girls for you but he
said he could not hire them until he quit Hotel
Keeping & that he would almost as leave think
of selling one of his children –
Kiss little Lizzie for me – Kiss Willie for me –
Tell them not to trouble Little Nannie. Give my very
best love to all at home and please don’t think
any less of me for not being with you under your
late & present trials –
Very devotedly Your Own
Choctaw
Saltville Virginia
Sunday, 31st May 1863
My dear “Little Nannie”:
Yours of the 22nd & 28th inst: are before
me – I am truly thankful that you are so much im-
-proved in health as to have been able to write them – I
ought to have been and desired most earnestly to be with
you in your troubles but the Fates had deceed otherwise –
Between my duties here & my duties at Lynchburg I have been
ever fitfully impatient – I could not leave our new
furnaces in the hands of inexperienced persons – I will
soon however have done building & then I will have a
good horse [or “house”] and respite from my present & heretofore fa-
-tiquing duties – I have notified Mr Scott & others that
I cannot undertake accounts or other indoor work –
I mean to simply general around inefficiently – like
Joe Hooker on the other side of the Rappahannock –
Mr Scott left here yesterday for Lynchburg to
come back next week with the new board of ap-
-praisers of whom Capt. McCorkle is one & Bob Owens
another – I hope that they may be able to agree about
the value of Stuart Buchanan & Co’s property to be
used by the State because our business will perhaps
be benefitted by it – Their presence here next week may
detain me here until Saturday or Sunday but I will go
to Lynchburg earlier if I can & then we can determine
whether & when we will go to the College or Abingdon to live –
[page 2]
I always knew that Dr. L. was lazy, indifferent and
inattentive & am glad that you called in Dr. Murrell
for whose attention & kindness I am thankful – I only
fear that he will not receive compensation – As
to the kindness of the family to you, to Willie, to little
Lizzie & to me I know not how to express myself further
than to say I am thankful & I’m grateful & I’m
grateful & I’m thankful – And then we cannot &
we do not underestimate the not unmeaning little
attentions of Aunt Catherine, Aunt Kiseah, Cousin
Rebecca & Cousin Mary Rosanna – We are fortunate
& ought to be happy in the superinduced reflections –
I am glad that Willie is at last trying to
talk & hope & expect to hear from him when I
am with him in a few days – Tell him to
continue to grow without emulating James Metcalfe
in that respect – I am glad too to hear of
the little Lizzie’s improvement & regret to know that
she suffers so much from colic – Kiss them
both for me & dont let Willie forget me –
We have not yet suffered from heat here
on the contrary the weather has been quite pleasant
for some time – Next month, & the next however
we will expect some warm days –
When you and Lizzie are at the College
or Abingdon I must arrange for your getting over
here to see my work – to fish in the North Fork
[page 3]
and ramble through the neighboring mountain crags.
The three Misses Fulton & the two Misses Pierce with
a lot of stars & Bars were prevented from their
proposed fishing excursion by the rain of yesterday –
Stuart & I were invited to join them but we
declined on account of business engagements – I
will wait for Lizzie & you –
Give my best love to all at home &
remember me very kindly to Mrs. C –
I am always glad to receive letters from
you but cannot ask that you write oftener when
you are so unwell & when I have not the
time in which to write as often as I would –
Very affectionately
Your Own
Choctaw
Saltville Virginia
Sunday 18th Dec. 1863
My dear “Little Nannie”.
I have before me three letters from
you – two of which came in my absence at Lynch –
-burg & Petersburg and the other in the last two
days – I was lead to the performance of my late trip
to those places by the importance of their objects[,] the
accomplishment of which I did not feel willing to
entrust to others because any little obstacle presenting itself
to most men affords them an excuse for failure to do
what they may be looked to for –
I was sorry to hear of your suffering from
tooth-ache and suppose you did right in having “the
offending members” removed but I would respectfully suggest
that when you can save your teeth by plugging or
otherwise you ought to resort to it without having any
regard to the cost – Teeth are more valuable than money
and I hope you will not regard the latter when
the former can be preserved –
I am sorry to hear that Clarks’ health
is not improving and delighted to hear of the constant