Cincinnatti, June 11th
My dear Mother,
I avail myself
of a few hours detention here, to
let you hear from us, as I well
know how great your anxiety will
be. Last night, I slept soundly
all night, for the first time for many
nights, indeed I was so exhausted
by the loss of sleep, that I hardly
knew what I was about–But this
good sleep, has entirely refreshed me,
Mary also is well, and we will
go on this afternoon to Cairo, where I
hope to find letters from my husband
telling us what to do.
Now that I am able to take a calmer
view, I can see that I have been un=
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necessarily agitated and alarmed,
and that I have acted with more
precipitance than was necessary–
I might have taken more time to make
my arrangements,so as to hear from
Mr Ellet at different points, but I did
the best I could–I had a dreadful fear,
that I was not informed of the extent
of the injury–I received the first in-
telligence through the War Department,
but Mr Ellet’s own special despatch
to me, was in some unaccountable
way delayed, until I received through
another telegraphic line, a second
dispatch from him, giving me the
names of different gentlemen on the
route West,to whom I could apply,
if I met with any difficulty on my
journey to join him–This alarmed
me, beyond all self-control, as it con-
firmed me in the supposition, that
he had been more seriously injured,
than had been represented in the mes-
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sages which came through the War Depart-
ment, and that he wished me to join
him without delay–I felt that I must
start at once,and though I received af-
terwards his first despatch assuring me
that he was not dangerously hurt–that
he wished me to join him, but impressed
on me the necessity, of taking time to
do everything properly at home, and
to travel slowly. I could not make
up my mind to encounter any delay–
My chief anxiety now, is the effect
this accident may have on his health.
It would be terrible for one of his
temperament to be lame–but
I will not anticipate trouble now–
I feel now as I imagine one might,
who had been condemned to be
executed, and had a respite–for
I did not beleive my husband would
get through this adventure wif with
life–
I hope my children are well and
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safely placed–I cannot see that I
could have made any better arrange
ment for them–The house is closed–
one of the men will sleep on the place–
We will write to you as soon as
we get to Cairo, where I hope to
find tidings, and perhaps to meet
Mr. Ellet—
Remember me most kindly
to Mrs. Davenport, and to Mr.
Wainwright=I have just read over
the letters from both of them so as
to understand them–They reached
us as we were starting. Mary wrote
to Mrs. Davenport from Baltimore,
and I wrote to you from home–I
hope you received the letters, I could not
attend to having them mailed–Mrs.
Davenport’s expressions of affectionate
pride in the success of the enterprize
were very gratifying to me–but we
must expect to see him as much
blamed as praised–I hear there is a
very severe article in one of the
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Western papers, already–
Please save the peices you see
for me–We have missed all
the newspapers.
Mary sends you her best love
she is just about writing to Nina
and Willie–We are
very fortunate in meeting here with
a freind who will see us safely
started in the cars this evening–
at 5 o’clock, and then we will
go straight through to Cairo without
stopping–This little rest, after
travelling two nights on the cars,
is very refreshing–
I hope you are quite recovered,
dear Mother, from the effects
of this great excitement, and hope
I may find a letter from you at Cairo–
Most affectionately yours
E S Ellet
In looking over Mr. Wainwright’s
letter, I observe that he asked me to
answer it promptly–When I received it
I merely ran over it, sufficiently to ap-
preciate its kind & congratulatory tone,
and cordial offer to assist me in any
way, but I felt as if he would hear
of all my arrangements, as promptly
through our letters to you & Mrs. Davenport,
as from a direct letter–I will take
it to Mr. Ellet
Elvira Ellet, wife of Union commander Edward Ellet,Jr.
MSS 276
very severe
