Jane Mary Wood Johnston Michel to Robert Morton Hughes, May 4, 1891

[Jane Mary Wood Johnston Michel (aka Mitchell) at Washington City to Robert Morton Hughes [at Norfolk, Virginia], May 4, 1891. Box 3, folder 9, Robert Morton Hughes Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library, Old Dominion University Libraries, Norfolk, VA 23529. This is my rough, annotated transcription from a copy graciously provided by William Myers. Extra paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.]

                                                                              931 P. st. N.W.

                                                                              May 4^th 1891

My dear Robbie,

Your letter should have been answered sooner, but that I have been waiting to see Mary Costello, who knows all about the books. However she has not been here, & I will delay no longer. The books you mention are no doubt the ones in question. The bible is most likely the one which belonged to brother Sydney, was sent to me after his death & I gave it to Joseph.

The large bible I shall be glad for you to keep, & your mother must have one of Lily’s prayer books.  The two best, I think, should be given to her two namesakes, Willie’s girl, & Sue’s.

You ask if I got the things on my list – I did, with only one exception, & that I willingly agreed to. As it turned out, I was glad that my list called for only the least valuable articles. For, after all was divided, I was informed, to my great surprise, that I was to pay for nothing. Ben & Coralie acted so sweetly about it!

One thing, however, I do think, was not just as it should be. I am disposing of the swords, no account was taken of my branch of the family. One, it seems to me, ought to come to me for my son. He was entirely overlooked. I suppose because he is so far away, & so little known to his relatives in this part of the world.

Did you ever hear the story of the breaking of your uncle’s leg when he was a lad? It was his first experience of a charge of cavalry, & I deem it worth recording, as showing his early propensity, the wonderful bravery of the young boy. Don’t forget that from his boyhood, his word was never doubted it was a standing fact, that Joseph always told the truth. I send the book.

                                      With love to all, warmly yours,

                                           J.W. Michel

[J.W. Michel = Jane Mary Wood Johnston Michel/Mitchell (November 26, 1811-January 6, 1892).

Robbie = Robert Morton Hughes (1855-1940).

Mary Costello = not sure who this is.

Joseph/Your uncle = Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807-March 21, 1891).

Books = many of the books from Joe Johnston’s library eventually made their way to William & Mary’s Swem Library. In the 1990s, I identified many of these volumes and requested they be moved to Special Collections.

Sydney = Algernon Sidney Johnston (1801-1852).

Your mother = Eliza Mary Johnston Hughes (1825-1909).

Lily = Lydia Milligan Sims McLane Johnston (1822-1887).

Willie’s girl = he had more than one daughter, none named Lily or Lydia as far as I can tell.

Sue’s daughter = Lilian Johnston Taliaferro (1877-1965).

Willie/my son = William Manning Michel/Mitchell (1839-1908).

Sue = Sue Henry Mitchell Taliaferro (1845-1940); her disabled and estranged veteran husband was William Meade Taliaferro (1840-1913).

Ben = Dr. George Ben Johnston (1853-1916).

Coralie = Coralie Henry Johnston (1861-1954), future librarian.]

[Many thanks to William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration; in this case, specifically to William for providing a scanned copy of the original document.]