The following letter was written by Oliva C. (Jordan) Davidson (b. 1831), the oldest child of James Casey Jordan (1794-1855) and Adelaide Taylor Johnson (1811-1865) of Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Olivia (or “Livie”) had several siblings she mentions in her letter: James “Casey” Jordan, Jr. (b. 1836), Adelaide (“Addie”) C. Jordan (b. 1840), Susan (“Sue”) C. Jordan (b. 1842), Rufus T. Jordan (b. 1849), and Robert (b. 1849). The Jordan family went back several generations in that county and were prominent Quakers. In the 1850 US Census, the last one taken before her father’s death and before her marriage in 1852, Livie was enumerated with her parents in Smithfield, Virginia.

Livie was married to a Baptist minister named Andrew T. Davidson (b. 1832) in Isle of Wight county on 27 October 1852. In the 1860 US Census, the couple were enumerated in Clarksville, Mecklenburg county, Virginia. It appears that when this letter was written in April 1863, Livie and her husband were still living in Mechlenburg county and that Livie’s younger siblings and mother were living with them, perhaps having abandoned their home in Isle of Wight county during the war.

Livie wrote the letter to her cousin, Mary Ann Jordan (1828-1915), the daughter of John Alexander Jordan (b. 1809-Aft1863) and Keturah G. Firth (1812-1873) of Smithfield, Isle of Wight county, Virginia. Mary Ann married William Thomas Buxton (1825-1891) in February 1864 in Northampton, North Carolina.

Transcription

Oakwood
April 28th 1863

My loved cousin,

Your last letter was received little more than a week ago most gladly, I do assure you, for I had been extremely anxious to hear from you—particularly after hearing you had accepted a situation in Carolina. The seal was very eagerly broken and its contents perused but I was disappointed in finding no description of your new home—not even the name of the family in which you reside. You must write more fully and give me a minute account of everything connected with yourself & believe I am deeply interested. I do hope you may be happy where you are & that you may succeed in getting Lucy a situation for as you say it will be much more pleasant for you both. You did not say whether you were teaching in a private family as governess or had charge of a school.

Your letter was mailed from Pleasant Hill. Uncle James Johnson lived there for several years—during the whole of his first wife’s life & several years after he was married the second time. I was never there but have frequently passed it on the cars. Do you live there or near there? You said you lived 10 miles from Weldon. Uncle James now lives three & you must try and go to see them. They will be very glad indeed to see you. When I find out with what family you reside, I will write to Aunt Hattie & Jimmie and they will go to see you.

We haven’t heard from Smithfield in nearly three weeks except a short business letter to Mr. D[avidson] from Uncle William [Jordan] ¹ received a few days ago. At the close of that, he said that Longstreet with 30,000 men had surrounded Suffolk—had demanded of Peck a surrender but he had refused. Longstreet then demanded that the women & children be allowed to leave the place. This too was refused and Uncle William said he was hourly expecting to hear of dreadful slaughter. We have watched the papers anxiously but no account is given of anything but skirmishing & I don’t suppose anything like a general engagement has taken place.

I was glad to hear that Elfrida Brewer ² was not allowed to proceed in her visit to her brother for since her extensive intimacy with the Yankees, I do not think she ought to be countenanced by any southern [family]. It is shameful indeed & I blush for her & her mother for I suppose one is as bad as the other.

I suppose you hear quite regularly from your family at home. We are glad to hear that Uncle John is improving. They were all well when we last heard but him & he was better. I don’t know why they don’t write to us from S[mithfield]; they have been writing pretty regularly once a week until recently. Uncle William wrote that Charlie had been ordered back to his company & as he did not think he could stand the service, he was about to put him in a substitute. It would cost him $2500—quite a sum.

Casey has been to see us recently. He was quite thin & looked badly. Said he didn’t enjoy much health in Richmond. He had only 20 days furlough & so couldn’t stay with us long. We hated very much to see him go away again. It had been so long since any of us had seen him that a few days seemed nothing. I hope he will be able to get another furlough during the summer.

The young folks in this neighborhood have been quite gay all winter. Lidia & Sue & Bob have been to several dinings and parties and weddings. Bob is so large for his age that he almost passes for a man & is invited about with the grown folks & escorts ladies & Sue all about. You would be surprised to see him in size. He looks several years older than Casey. Rufus too has grown considerably but not as much as Bob. They are not at school. Unfortunately there is no school in the neighborhood & Ma is not able to board them out. We try to get them to study at home but it’s almost a thing impossible—there is so much to take their attention on the farm. Ma has been quite sick with a cold & cough but is up & nearly well again.

Mr. D[avidson] too has had a terrible cold for two weeks—great [ ] with pain in his chest & lungs & it makes me miserable whenever this is the case. You know the predisposition of the family to consumption. He sends his best love to you & wishes you much happiness in your new situation. Says he has always regarded you as quite an intelligent lady, but if you become a Baptist from principle, he will think it is the smartest thing you ever done. He is a warm conscientious Baptist himself.

Ma, Addie, Sue & the boys all send best love to you and ,any wishes for your happiness & we all say we wish you would come to see us in your vacation. Now don’t this is mere invitation of favor. We all want very much to see you & wish you would come. Write to me often. I prize your letters very much & am always glad to receive them. Accept my sincere love and believe me now & ever your friend & cousin, — Livie D[avidson].

---

¹ Livie’s uncle, William Henry Jordan (1807-1865), was a merchant in Smithfield, Isle of Wight county, Virginia.

² Before the Civil War, Elfrida Charlotte Holland (1837-1925) of Suffolk married Capt. Jesse B. Brewer (1825-1862) of the 13th Virginia Cavalry. He died early in 1862 and Elfrida lived with her mother Catherine B. Holland in Suffolk which became a Union occupied city early in 1862. Near the end of the Civil War, on 19 March 1865, Elfrida (Holland) Brewer remarried Capt. George W. Lewis, 3rd New York Cavalry.