The following letter was written by Nathaniel Clayton Manson (1820-1894), the son of Nathaniel John Manson (1782-1859) and Sallie K. Alexander (1779-1861). Nathaniel wrote the letter to his wife, Polly Cary Wilson (1833-1912). From the letter we learn that Polly Cary was visiting her sister Francis or “Fannie” (Wilson) Price (1825-1891), the wife of Charles Allen Price (1822-1892) of Prince Edward Court House, Va. Charles served as a lieutenant in Co. D, 18th Virginia Infantry. Living near Fanny was her sister Ellen (Wilson) Berkeley (1839-1913) and Ellen’s husband, William (“Willie”) Randolph Berkeley (1838-1877) of Farmville. Willie served in the 21st Virginia Infantry.

Transcription

Lee Wood
September 11th 1861

My dear Polly Cary,

I received your very welcome letter Monday and would have answered it yesterday but I was employed the whole day assisting in the assessment of Mr. Steen’s property and did not get back home until sometime after dark. I am very glad to hear that you and the children are so well and am afraid that you and they will be very sorry when the time comes for you to return home. I wish very much I could be with you. I should like so well to spend a few days with sister Fanny and Ellen that I have almost concluded to leave everything up here and meet you there when you return.

I sent the box to Charles today by express. I would have sent it sooner but Mr. Bassot expected to go today and kindly offered to take charge of it and as he is an officer he thought he could probably have it forwarded to him from Manassa at once. This would have been very desirable for I am afraid the potatoes will be damaged if they are detained long on the road. It is now quite uncertain when Mr. B. & Mr. Rassom will leave. Mr. R. rode over to Dr. Armistead’s Monday and returned the next morning completely broken down. He is now a good deal better and is about as well as when you left. I do not think he will be well enough though to join his regiment again this winter. I think his lungs are seriously threatened. Any little walk seems to put him almost as much out of breath as it would William Hopper. All of the other members of his company in the country and Lynchburg are improving very fast except Mr. McSarin who has almost despaired of returning again.

Louisa has just received quite a number of letters from the boys. They write in very fine spirits and seem to enjoy themselves very much in spite of the hard service they have been through. Frank sent a Yankee cartridge box and contents amongst which were a lady’s braid which he says he sometimes wore but as he had some difficulty in making it stay on. He wants it made into a plume for his hat. Frank mentions having been to Munson’s Hill on furlough and witnessing a skirmish between the pickets, and saw the Yankee balloon when it was fired on by our artillery and it came suddenly down. ¹

He sends Matty fifty kisses which he say you must deliver and that you must not let Clayton forget him. Lucy is very much interested in the sewing society. She has attended both of the meetings since you left. I believe they are doing very well. Mrs. McDaniel makes an energetic president. The Bolleny’s are doing much better now than at first. I saw the Doctor today and he told me he had htirteen sick soldiers staying with him. This is doing his duty bravely as all should whether in the army or out of it. I should like very much to send you some of Frank’s letters. He gives a very interesting and graphic description of camp life, but [sister] Charlotte I reckon would start down after it even if she could be prevailed on to part with it for a short time. She has been reading them aloud for the second time and commenting on them ever since I have been writing which must be my apology for this badly written and unconnected epistle.

I came here today and as I could not get through all of my business today, I concluded to stay all night and start early in the morning and try and finis tomorrow time enough to get home. I have not yet finished the arrangements for the next year. I have been engaged on it ever since you left with the exception of one day. I will write to you again and give all of the particulars so soon as it is perfected.

We have not heard a word from Willie since he left here. Frank said in his last letter than an order had been issued to prevent their writing again from Manassa for fifteen days. It may be that that Gen. Lee’s Division is under similar orders. I have been trying to sell the crop of wheat but find that there are no persons disposed to buy in Lynchburg. I will have either to keep it longer—which I do not wish to do—or have it ground into flour and sell it in that shape as I can. Charlotte says she would write to you all the news from the boys as she promised but she expects me to do so. She is as restless as ever and has a strange way of doing things as ever. When she found out that Mr. Rassam was not as well as when she left, she wanted very much to send immediately to Gen. Clags 7 miles off for a horse to go home on in the morning to get him some blackberry wine. She has now almost concluded to toast Louisa with her wine and to write to her in regard to it. Lila promised to write to you when I did but her letter was not finished when I left home. But you will get it in a few days.

I called at E’s today and found Sally and Miss Hope from home. They are at Dr. Lemmon’s and for the first time I allowed myself to be provoked by my relation. I do not think she means anything by it but it was disagreeable so I left the house at once in no very good humor. I will give you the particulars when I see you.

Give my best love to Ellen, Patty, and sister Fanny. Tell sister Fanny she must keep the honey until I can come down. All here and at home send their love. Yours truly, — N. C. Manson

I send a map of Manassa drawn by Frank. Be sure and take care of it. Charlotte does not know it.

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¹ “I had the pleasure of seeing Prof. Lowe’s balloon, and am sure his observations were of little account to him. The Yankee experiment of ballooning came near receiving a great ‘”pull back,”’ by the firing upon the balloon spy by the Washington Artillery. Several shots were fired at it, when it immediately ‘”went down.”’ Don’t suppose, however, ‘”anybody was hurt.”’ But, nevertheless. somebody was scared, for the balloon suddenly disappeared and did not come up again.” Correspondent for the Richmond Daily Dispatch dated September 6, 1861.