Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley to John Milton Binckley, April 13, 1869

[Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley at Abingdon, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Washington City, April 13, 1869]

My beloved one

I reached here this morning, left Liberty last night. Found snow here 2 inches and snowing in such a storm all day, that when at last after indefatigable efforts uncle Bev procured a conveyance, the storm was so fearful and the day so far advanced that both he and cousin John thought it impossible to go to-day. So here I am, trying to have patience, to compose myself. The physician whom uncle Bev sent over from Abingdon expected to return today, but up to this hour has not come. Whether it is on account of the storm, or because mother is worse we cannot tell.

I received your telegram -- for answer, I must say my beloved, do no wait if it interferes in the least with your matters. I am now composed. I have recovered from the first frantic feeling of yesterday, and now I think I can go through whatever may come. If you could remain in Washington a few days longer without inconvenience, I would be very glad, for I would like to send you word when the decisive change comes either for better or worse. I go over tomorrow, no matter if it does storm.

Every one is kind and good as can be. Uncle Bev wants me to leave the children here, but if mother is to die she must see these her first and best loved grand-children.

The travel and anxiety make me feel sick, but do not be uneasy, my own dearie, I have a good constitution, and great powers of endurance. Your telegram will be answered as soon as possible.

I hope that the state of suspense will be ended tomorrow. 

Your own wife

[Note: telegram from Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley at Liberty, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Washington City, Received at Willards [Willard's Hotel]. 438 N St. April 12, 1869. "Received telegram saying mother is very ill -- I go tonight."] 

Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley (1838-1930)
John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mother =  Jane Mary Wood Johnston (1811-1892)
Uncle Bev = Beverly Randolph Johnston (1803-1876)
Cousin John = John Warfield Johnston (1818-1889)
The children = Nellie/Ellen/Nella Fontaine Binckley (September 1, 1860-April 27, 1951) and Harvey Mitchell Binckley (1864-1928) 


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.

Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley to John Milton Binckley, April 12, 1869

[Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley at [Wheatly], Liberty (Bedford), Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at [Washington City], April 12, 1869].

Monday morning

April 12th 1869

Oh Milton, why am I separated from you when in such grief? The enclosed telegram that came this morning explains all. If I could only have had it yesterday and started then!

The hours of this day seem so slow. I can not possibly go until this evening -- will be in Abingdon tomorrow morning, and will go right on to Russell.

My God it seems as if my heart would break. If I can only get to see her once more!

I realize now what hopes I have built -- when in packing my trunk the sight of my drawings turned me sick.

Milton I do struggle for submission but the giving up of my home, the parting wrench was not yet over and lo! I am called on for another inconceivably worse. But I cannot write -- the brief note that I got from you this morning was the first word I have had. I do feel so utterly desolate and heart broken.

Your Mary

[p.s.] I think I will send you a telegram this coming from Liberty. And I must send poor Sue word. If I get later news from in Abingdon I will telegraph you what it is.

[Note: telegram from Beverly Randolph Johnston (1803-1876) at Abingdon, Virginia, to "Mrs. Louisa Binckley" via Liberty, Virginia care R. C. Mitchell (Robert Crump Mitchell, 1807-1872) near Liberty, [April] 11, 1869: "Your mother [Jane Mary Wood Johnston Mitchell/Michel (1811-1892)] is very ill . . . wishes you to come to her at once."]

Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley (1838-1930)
John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Sue = Sue Henry Mitchell/Michel Taliaferro (1847-1940)

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.

Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley to John Milton Binckley, January 30, 1865

Major General Edward O. C. Ord and His Family 

[Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley at Eastville, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Washington City, January 30, 1865]

Eastville [Virginia] Jan. 30th 1865
Monday evening

I wrote a long letter, my dearie, that was put in the office this noon. Just afterwards I heard one or two additional items of such importance that I thought best to write at once, and let you receive both letters at once.

I told you there was a mill. I found on closer investigation, that after the first year, that was made by Gov. [U.S. Government] a separate affair, and not let or included with the Farm. Quite an important item. Then father [Harvey Mitchell/Michel, 1799-1866] told me Westcoat [aka Wescott] would rent the unenclosed field. Of course he was mistaken. As I discovered for myself this afternoon. Still, after all, the rent is so moderate, that it is quite satisfactory to me. I will find out in the next two days how much fencing it will take to enclose the other field, expense &c and let you know. It is a nice day's wonder for Eastville that a woman has taken such a farm, and that we have enterprise enough to move again.

And only think! in the midst of all this I am actually planning a jollification. When [Major General] Ord [Edward Otho Cresap Ord, 1818-1883] was here, he begged me to come over and [word(s) covered by envelope] at the Fort [Fort Monroe] now, and invited Sue [Sue Henry Mitchell/Michel, 1847-1940]  too. She is fairly crazy to go, and I have agreed to go over one boat day and return the next. Mother [Jane Mary Wood Johnston Mitchell/Michel, 1811-1892] urges me to go, and will take care of Harvey [Harvey Mitchell Binckley aka "baby" (1864-1928; later documents claim 1866 birth] for me. And dearie, I was quite sure you would like it.

The One thing I regret exceedingly. This old Bridgeman's lease does not expire until the 8th of Feb. keeping us out there for nine most precious days for no earthly power could get him out sooner, he is so furious. All I can do is het horses, hands & implements all ready, and go right in as soon as possible. White [Lt. Col. Frank J. White, Provost Marshal]  advises me to put in a tremendous crop (50 acres!) of spring potatoes! I expect I will have plenty of advice, and may glean & pick at some valuable thing. 

Nellie [aka Nella Fontaine Binckley, 1860-1951) is boisterous. Baby spoiled but well, indeed all of us well. Mother Binckley [Charlotte Stocker Binckley (1788-1877)]  is, I think, (in spite of her dislike of the climate,[)] in better health than I ever knew her, has good appetite[,] sleeps well, and has scarcely a touch of neuralgia, is in good spirits[,] too.

Before I forget it let me beg you to send me a "power of attorney," to sign your name &c. I ought to have it about the lease.

I must stop now or this won't go.
Your own Mary

[Telegram note, MLMB at Eastville, Virginia, to JMB at Washington City via Daily Chronicle Office, January 28, 1865]:

"Can get deep branch [Deep Branch] farm rent five hundred shall I[?]"

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.

Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley to John Milton Binckley, November 12, 1865

[Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley at Eastville, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Office of National Intelligencer, Washington City, November 12, 1865.]

Eastville Nov. 12th 1865

I wrote to you my beloved a short note by father. All was ready at last and they started to Cherrystone, mother going with him. They had been gone about an hour, when Sue looked out and said "oh sister here comes old Meers again." I picked up the baby and went up stairs. He came in accompanied by Mr. Reed (I suppose as a witness) and demanded the keys of the cotton-house and corn-house.

The message was brought to me. I sent for Mother B. to ask her advice: she advised me not to give up the keys: that even if it was a rightful seizure, I was not obliged to give them up.

So I sent Rose to town requesting Capt, Evans to come out and protect the property. Sent his official paper down with the message that as there was no necessity for haste in their action, that I requested them to wait until Capt. Evans could come, as the property was in his charge. 

Your mother took the message down and you can imagine how she decanted on the unlawfulness of seizing property without judgment having been given, the cruelty of assailing so suddenly an unprotected woman in her husband's absence, and her utter contempt when Fisher was held up to her as a specimen of integrity and brilliant lawyership.

Meers refused to wait a moment (remember, on the day before when mother had asked him when the writ was to be served, he answered he was not obliged to be at all precipitous, and went away leaving her under the impression that he was afraid to execute it.) Well, he went out and broke open the back door of the barn, nailed up the cotton room door, came out and nailed up after them, nailed up [the] front door, and [the] door of [the] corn house where the new corn (Wescott's third) was stored, had a negro man put a bridle on Doctor [a horse] and rode him off, were going to take the other horse but the negroes told him it was Gov. property. He then left, went home.

Our cow, which you remember we bought from him, was then in the garden. She went out towards the branch as she has been in the habit of lately. She has not been seen since, and ever since that evening the lowing of a confused cow has been heard from the Meers farm. More of her anon.

Well to return, I had sent in Rose; she did not return. I sent Custis in with note to Dr. Sidney. After so long a time mother returned and the servants, and then was explained Fisher's haste. Evans had been mustered out and gone 6 days before, and the impression that Evans had no successor. But mother had found out that his successor had come on Wednesday & had gone down to Cherrystone with Dr. and Mrs. Sidney. So after getting my note in town, mother went right to this man and told him all. He, one Capt. Pride, a little namby-pamby, red-headed thing, said, "Oh, if they had done so, he would at once arrest old Meers and Fisher, and have the property restored at once. 

He promised to come out as soon as he got his dinner. So mother came home. After several hours hence he came. But he had cooled down amazingly, contradicted himself continuously in one breath declared that Fisher had no shadow of right to demand rent, much less seize it. In the next "he must telegraph to Richmond to know if this property belonged to the Freedman's B. [Bureau]"!  Promised to let me know as soon as answer to telegram arrived, and rode off.

All day Saturday I waited in vain. Could hear the lowing of a cow. Sent all over the neighborhood to look for ours in vain. Poor baby crying for his accustomed pint and a half. Towards evening I went out to Dr. Sidney's; he was not a[t] home, but there sat Pride. After a while as he said nothing I asked if he had no news for me. "No, the telegram had not been answered," and I could get nothing out of him but another series of contradictory statements, and "he would see Fisher in the morning and come out and let me know what Fisher and telegram said." So I came home discouraged.

This morning still heard cow lowing, sent two men on quiet investigations, as all the negroes persisted she was at Meers. 

So I rode in the evening to Dr. Sidney's, he told me at once that I need not hope for Pride to do anything, as he was proving himself utterly trifling. That he Pride had not yet sent to Cherrystone for the answer to his telegram of Friday.

We talked over the matter. Sidney was really kind, advised me to telegraph you at once, and offered to do it for me in his official capacity. Presently Pride lounged in (it seems he had been asleep all day. You may know what sort of a concern he is when he has his wife in office in Q.M.'s dep. [Quartermaster's Department] at the Fort [Fort Monroe, probably]. I turned to him at once, and asked why he had not come out as he promised. Why he couldn't see Mr. Fisher, and he hadn't had an answer to telegram -- finally after a good deal of rambling declared he could not interfere to recover the horse and cow (as he had solemnly promised) because that was private property! How it was any more "private" than the corn and cotton I could not see. 

I told him quietly and plainly what I thought of the whole transaction and finally declared it was a shame that there was no protection given by Gov. officials to the only loyal citizens of this rebellious county. Our President seems to be a just man. I think if I could tell him of the proceedings here in the last month of Old Fisher and his sworn jackal of old, Meers (who has been public "negro-whipper" here for years,) I think he would revoke FIsher's pardon tomorrow.

This evening after I got home, one of the men came in to say he had seen a cow so much like ours he could almost swear it was ours, in Meers' stable yard. It may and it may not be ours, but as it was not attached, I will get Dr. Sidney to go over with mother and Leah early in the morning. We have a good excuse for we can truly say that the cow having strayed off, we thought it quite probable she had returned to her old home.

Dr. Sidney said he was coming out anyhow, and if he has no objection, I will get him to lend a gentleman's presence to the expedition. I hope we will get her -- milk and butter is our greatest loss.

A hard fight, isn't it, my honey. But I am in the thick of the fight now, my nerves strong, and my dander up: and I join with your heart and sol in the vow, "Our wrongs must be redressed if it takes every cent of our money and ten years of our time."

I hope before this gets to you, I will have your answer to Sidney's telegram. I must go to bed and try to sleep, for Heaven only knows what tomorrow may bring for me to struggle with,

Goodnight my love, my all.

[PS - undated slip, November 13,1865]: In my letter on Friday I made a slight mistake on dates. I said we [were] turned out the last day of July -- but it was earlier in the month. We spent 3 days of July in the barn. Tues. was 1st Aug. 

Monday morning. A lovely morning. I dreamed last night of you and lovely moon-lit scenery, was distressed to wake in the land of fiends.

This morning I have testimony of a negro who saw Meers meet the cow on the road and have her driven in his stable yard and penned up. As it is unlawful to "attach" a cowm I shall make an attempt to recover her, but poor Doctor will have to stay until I am furnished with some stick with which to stir up this ninny Pride: he ought to be kicked out.

To-day is Nov. Court. Only think Reed cooly told mother B. on Friday that I had better give up the keys, and then if any damage was done me, I could go to Court to-day and recover damages! I would have to plead my own cause before a prejudging Judge and Jury.

[November 19, 1865 sequel letter is here.] 

Some of the people in this epic letter:

Charlotta Stocker Binckley ~ "Mother B." (1788-1877)
Harvey Mitchell Binckley ~ "baby" (1864-1928; later documents claim 1866 birth)
John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley (1838-1930)
Harvey Mitchell/Michel (1799-1866)
Jane Mary Wood Johnston Mitchell/Michel (1811-1892)
Sue Henry Mitchell/Michel (1847-1940)

Freedmen: 
Custis
Leah
Rose

Union officers:
Capt. Evans
Capt. Pride

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.

Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley to John Milton Binckley, November 19, 1865

Eastville, [Virginia] Nov. 19th 1865

Well old fellow, aren't you ashamed to write me such mites of letters, and so unsatisfactory! But I have no time to scold. Capt. Pride has been absent on business in Norfolk, but I have had a telegram from him saying he had orders from Gen. Howard [Oliver Otis Howard] and would attend to Mr. Fisher Monday (tomorrow). Pride is behaving very well now. Dr. Sidney has been truly kind and polite. We have had one or two such pleasant visits from him and his friend, Dr. Brower [Daniel Roberts Brower, 1839-1909] the Med. Inspector of Va. here on a visit. It was quite a "Sunray" to meet with an agreeable gentleman, especially to poor Susie [Sue Henry Mitchell/Michel, 1847-1940], who hadn't seen a bean before for months. 

While I was away Sat. evening Old Meers came here with gun on his shoulder, ostensibly to see if the "boss" was still in place, but walked all over the garden, lots, yard, counted chickens and turkeys and after so long a time sauntered off. Old Fisher has been showing your telegram to him all over town, and laughing at it. So Sidney tells me. Sidney has been out and vaccinated the babe. Sue and I rode down to take our last look at Pembroke and the bay-shore.

We do not say we are going so soon. As you made no reply about "river route" I made inquiries from Dr. Brower. [H]e says there is no line now on [the] Potomac, so I am sorry to say we will have to go thro' Batlimore. There will be a vessel in Tuesday, to which I think I can sell the potatoes.

I do hope "Doctor" can be reserved [recovered] from Old F. tomorrow, and tho' Dr. Sidney has put a horse at my disposal, I had of course rather have my own. I will be so very busy now that ten days will soon pass. Only think just ten days more!  Good night, Mary

[Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley at Eastville, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Washington City, November 19, 1865.]

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.

Letter from Charlotte Elizabeth Mitchell to John Milton Binckley, August 2, 1861

Letter from Charlotte Elizabeth Mitchell at Liberty, Virginia, to John Milton Binckley at Washington, D.C., August 2, 1861 (original in John Milton Binckley papers, Library of Congress). My rough transcript:

I met the messenger with the telegram just this moment, have just sent an answer, & Sam will take the telegram to Ma at Wheatly [aka Wheatley]. Do you not know Brother if my Father holds office under Lincoln after the 1st of August he can never return to Va. I cannot think you do. Ma [Jane Wood Johnston Mitchell] has no idea of returning [to Washington, D.C.] till she knows Father has been informed of this, & it is cruel to wish her to do so. Brother I shall never be able to stand this entire separation. Father must resign at once & do what he can for himself before his name suffers.  [I]t is hard but Ma will suffer less to have it so, than for her home to be under such an administration, cut off forever from all she holds dear. Nonetheless, letters have been written & I cannot imagine why you all have not heard. Did you not get a telegram from Lou [Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley], saying she was in Louisville & poor dear child, everything seems to go against her.

Ma is as well as can be under the circumstances, is very anxious of course. Dear Brother, I wish I could see your dear face once more, but God's will be done.

Your affec. Sister

Pictured at top: Liberty (Bedford) Virginia, Edward Beyer (1820-1865), circa 1855.