[Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley at Eastville, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Washington City, March 11, 1865]
The whole community, my dearie, are this morning in a state of agitation. Yesterday the enrollment commenced, and this morning I am going in with my poor darkies who are scared to death, and in spite of all my explanations cannot believe except "that if I don't go with them they will be carried off to the army this day." I am much disturbed about it.
The weather has been so dreadful that since I last wrote not a stroke of work has been done, and now if these four darkies' minds are all unsettled, it will be next to impossible to get them steady in the traces again. However, I am not discouraged, will fight my fate manfully, and take for my motto "Never give up the ship."
Father is quite sick this morning. Mother B. pretty well, rest of us well except colds. No news about my business.
In great haste
Mary
[John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley (1838-1930)
Harvey Mitchell/Michel (1799-1866)
Jane Mary Wood Mitchell/Michel (1811-1892)
Mother B. = Charlotte Stocker/Charlotta Stoker Binckley (1788-1877)
Harvey Mitchell Binckley (1864-1928)
Nellie/Nella Fontaine Binckley (1860-1951)]
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.
The whole community, my dearie, are this morning in a state of agitation. Yesterday the enrollment commenced, and this morning I am going in with my poor darkies who are scared to death, and in spite of all my explanations cannot believe except "that if I don't go with them they will be carried off to the army this day." I am much disturbed about it.
The weather has been so dreadful that since I last wrote not a stroke of work has been done, and now if these four darkies' minds are all unsettled, it will be next to impossible to get them steady in the traces again. However, I am not discouraged, will fight my fate manfully, and take for my motto "Never give up the ship."
Father is quite sick this morning. Mother B. pretty well, rest of us well except colds. No news about my business.
In great haste
Mary
[John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley (1838-1930)
Harvey Mitchell/Michel (1799-1866)
Jane Mary Wood Mitchell/Michel (1811-1892)
Mother B. = Charlotte Stocker/Charlotta Stoker Binckley (1788-1877)
Harvey Mitchell Binckley (1864-1928)
Nellie/Nella Fontaine Binckley (1860-1951)]
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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