Richmond VA
Saturday night after supper
Nov 16th 1861
My Dear wife I seat myself to
night to let you know where I am
I was alittle unwell at dinner to day
and could not eat much dinner but I
feel well now. hoping these lines will
find you and my dear Childrn well
I can not tell when we shall get to
Manassas on the account that we can not
get our baggage a long on the cars
it is the hardest matter in the world
to get freight to gow on to its destina
tion M. D. Williams H. [Leavs?] others & a Mr
Harris from S.C. are gone down to the
Depot to see if our things has come the freight
traine came in at 5 P.M. and if has come
we will start to the boys in the morning
and if we start them with no axident we
will get to them monday next so you see
that we will not have long to stay with
them as we want to get home by tonight
weeak but if we fail do not bea uneasy
about me, for I feal safe wher I am
the people seams kind here but I have
to pay a high price for the kindness
[page 2]
I recive only $2.50 per day night and
loging I will tell you of some things I
have done since I got here last night
I went to the soldirs [steaton?] [1] and saw
a goodeal this morning me & a young soldier
from Orang took a strole in town went to
the one of sevearl market houses which
made me open my eyes to see so [much?] [??] [2]
so many things the house is some 3 hundred
yards long I think come back eat brakfast
startd a [??] went to a grist mill where
I saw [??] wheat mill runing & sevearl
still and a host of other things the
greatest was Gen Washington the monu
ment to Gen Washington on a large horse
away up in the air [? ? ??] after
dinner J H [?] & Wm A. B. went down on the
river at the worfe I saw several saile vesels
flat bottom & one steeme boat which was
right smart for me to see went to the
paper mill saw them making paper
Richmond is a great place for any body
to see that has never seen no more than I
had you may gow out look all arand
and see buildings 2 or 3 miles every way
Just over the river there is Manchester
there is buildings have 10 storis high
I am in the American hotell 5 story
room No 8.
[page 3]
I wroat John a little note before I left
Raleigh tell John he would be surprised
if he would see Richmond, if the men has
come from the depot and our things has
com I write to rectley I,ll gow down and [directly?]
see Mr Williams has come up tell me
if our things has not come
I will close by saying farewell
for this time
I. S. upchurch