Augusta County: Lizzie Fackler to Mary, November 18, 1862

I have at last seated myself to write you that long promised letter, you must remember when you were in S-- that I had a very bad habit of putting off things that should be done, from one day to another, and although I have tried to break myself of it, I have not entirely succeeded, and particularly does my fault show itself in letter writing, though I love both to receive and to answer letters from my friends. However, if you will again correspond with me I will try to follow your rule of anwering a letter as soon as it is received. Let me congratulate you upon being rid of the Yankees though I am late in the day doing it, better late than never", an old proverb says. Mrs. Tde. brought me both letters she received from you, and from your account you must have been very much annoyed by their presence. We have been several times alarmed, for fear the Yankees would get us, but they have not succeeded yet, and I trust Jackson will never give us up to them. They have been as near at eighteen miles in several diretions. At one time we had a regular panic, and almost everybody left Staunton, but after playing "refugee" about a week, they returned and were laughed at a great deal about it. We have not had school at the Institute since the war began. Mr. Wheat has had a boy's school and Mr. Phillips has been manager of a clothing Factory established for the benefit of the soldiers. Mrs. Forrest has the best school in town now, and I walk there, about a mile, every morning to take French lessons. Mr. Ide teaches music there. Mrs. Ide spent a day with us not long ago and she said she had either first written to you or was going to do it very soon. It does seem so strange that you have never seen either of her children. They have grown and improved so much lately. Ella is very pretty and little Nettie Bell is as sprightly as she can be. Bee Taylor is still in Staunton and was over to see me this morning. She would send her love if she knew I was writing. I have not been well for some time. I had a slight attack of typhoid fever this summer and have not gotten entirely over it yet. As a necessary consequence I have lost all my beautiful suit of hair, which of course distresses me very much. How is your cousin Sue? And what has become of your Sister Jennie? I do not know when I took such a fancy to any body from a description as I did to her. We have been having a very pleasant time lately, as the Fauquim Artillery have been stationed here for the last three weeks but much to our sorrow they were ordered away yesterday and of course had to go. As Staunton is the central depot for the troops, and persons going to and coming from the army have to pass through, we necessarily got acquainted with a good many gentlemen, so not withstanding the war we have enjoyed ourselves very much. I heard of a very narrow escape a cousin of mine had when the labratory at Jackson, Mississippi, blew up. He is one of the officers in charge of it and only happened to be out of the building at the time, because he was sick. I am so thankful he was not hurt. He is one of my favorite cousins. You may have heard me speak of him, Steve Kinney, he was at West Point when you were here. Mr. Ide was here this morning and says he sent you a daguerreotype of Ella, the other day. Do you ever expect to come back to Staunton? By the by, I met Mr. John Bledsoe on the street a day or two ago, with his arm in a sling, I do not know whether he was wounded or not. Jakey Points is still in Staunton, has never been in the Army since the first battle of ----------. We had a wedding the other day and who do you think was married? Kittie Woodward. I suppose you remember her. She lived at the Lunatic Asylum. I have written you quite a long letter and you must answer it very soon. Ma joins me in love. Bee went to the country today with Grandpa and Rob has going to an uncle's to stay until Christmas, otherwise they would send some message. Do write soon.