Beloved Milton,
Yours of the 14th came this morning. Last evening I had a long letter from Lulie; she is entirely unable to defer her wedding. She is evidently much distressed about it, but Mr. Smith (her adopted father) is obliged to be absent on business the 5th or 6th of Sep. to be gone two months. Of course her first duty is to consult his convenience, so the original day fixed (Sept. 3d) will be kept.
I confess I am utterly at a loss to know what to do.
Willie and Lulie have shown such flattering willingness to alter their arrangements to suit us, that it would seem ungrateful in me not to attend their wedding. Yet how to arrange it I don't know. To give up a trip with you into Tazewell & Russell is a disappointment I cannot contemplate with composure, and yet is is so hard to get conveyances here, that I can scarcely hope to manage to get over there twice.
Now, Miltonius, you know, my dearie, that I do not ask you ever to leave your duty for my gratification. But it will scarcely be a duty for you to remain after the return of Mr. Stanbery. I know how you feel towards your dear old "chief," and his lightest wish to you is law, and he has expressed a hope that a week or so might intervene between his return and your departure. But Milton, he is a generous gentleman, and as such would greatly put up with some inconvenience to give you great pleasure. I have no idea that it would be anything greater than mere inconvenience.
If you can come the first of Sep. we will keep Nellie's birthday, (the 1st), go over to the wedding over the mountains on horseback[,] gratify Willie and all by being present. Go from there into Tazewell to see the Bowens, and make sketches of that lovely land. Come back to Abingdon. Spend the rest of your time here visiting, and going to the Salt Works, up to the White Top mountain, and over to the river.
We will leave Abingdon, you and I and the children, a day or so before your time is out. Stop in Bedford, and spend the day at Wheatly together, then you may toddle homewards and I (with your leave) will pass a week or two among my relations there, so as not to give offence, and then follow you home.
That is the plan I would like to carry out. I don't hesitate to beg you if possible to indulge me, for I know if it is wrong you won't do it, not even for your wife. But if you are simply bashful about asking Mt. Stanbery, just let me know, and I'll write to that sweet old man myself.
It does seem a great pity -- Sue's marriage put off till spring, and of course it is not possible that either you or I can be here then, and now a chance of our missing Willie's -- the only weddings in our family, for I have lost all hope of sister [Charlotte].
I told you it is almost impossible to get horses here. The "raid" here [in 1864] carried off all the finest horses, and the rest are busy in the field.
There has been very little trouble with the servants until 2 weeks ago, when some fanatical Rad. made speeches here advising negroes not to work for white folks, that they would soon have the land parceled out to them &c., and the consequence is you get no service and much impudence. Mother is nearly worried sick.
We had had a nice ride in a double buggy a day or two ago, and I rode out on horseback this morning.
You have never said whether you had a letter from me with some verses. Or whether I had permission to send to Dr. Piper for some medicine. Do tell me.
I have written to Preston Parr to get me a present for Lulie. If you don't come, it will have to be sent by Express.
Do, my beloved as soon as you get this, sit right down and write me a line in answer, so I shall know what to do: this I implore you.
I must stop -- it's mail time.
Your own
Mary
[John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley (1838-1930)
Lulie = Lucy A. "Lulie" Dennis (1845-1923)
Mr. Smith = Lulie's adopted father
Willie = William M. Mitchell/Michel (1839-1908)
Sue = Sue Henry Mitchell/Michel (1845-1940)
Mr. Stanbery = Henry Stanbery (1803-1881), US Attorney General from 1866 to 1868
The children = Nellie/Ellen/Nella Fontaine Binckley (September 1, 1860-April 27, 1951) and Harvey Mitchell Binckley (1864-1928)
Mother = Jane Mary Wood Johnston Mitchell/Michel (1811-1892)
Charlotte = Charlotte Elizabeth Griffin Mitchell/Michel (1829-1921)
Preston Parr = David Preston Parr (1844-1913), married (since 1866) to Frances "Fannie" Ellen Mitchell, daughter of Robert Crump Mitchell (1817-1872) and Ann Lucy Phillips Mitchell (1809-circa 1880) of Wheatly
Tazewell and the Bowens = family of Louisa Smith Bowen Johnston (1800-1873), Maiden Spring]
Original manuscript in the John Milton Binckley Papers, 1816-1943. Library of Congress Manuscript Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. This is my rough transcription.
Many thanks to William Myers for sending scanned copies of the documents from the Binckley papers, and also to Mary Davy and Sally Young for their assistance.
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