Lynchburg, January 18th

The ladies are all very much interested in the knitting society, which is now in an embryo state. We were to have had a meeting yesterday, but the weather was so bad we could not do so. We wish to enlist every woman in town and have appointed ladies to canvass. Our object, of course, is to get socks for the soldiers who are suffering so much on the field. I am sorry I am to be away just now, as Mrs. Spence and myself have been the prime movers in the scheme. I shall see whether I can do anything in Richmond towards getting materials from the government. We hear sad accounts from the army, especially Longstreet's corps, as to their ragged and barefooted condition. Dr. Smith says many men are brought into the hospital with their feet badly frozen and frostbitten. I cannot help being much depressed by the outlook in public affairs. I hear there are twenty thousand Yankees in Winchester who will probably march on Staunton, as there is no force to oppose them, Early having gone back to Orange Courthouse. Charlottesville and Lynchburg will fall into their hands and Richmond will be cut off from its supplies.

Richmond, January 20th

Here I am at last, in Richmond, after a terribly fatiguing journey down. There was a very young looking soldier on board who had ridden on the platform for a long way, and got so cold at last he crept into the car through the window. He looked so young and boyish I felt much interest in him. The stewardess told him she intended reporting him to the conductor. I called to her and asked her to let him stay. At first she refused but on further persuasion consented. I then called him, and got into a conversation with him. He was only seventeen years old, and had joined the army when a little over thirteen, from Alexandria. His name was Coursey. He had just been released from the yankee prison camp at Point Lookout [Md.?] where he had been a prisoner for five months. I was much pleased with him and gave him my address. He asked me if I would accept a ring he had gotten hold of while in prison. It was of some black material inlaid with gold. When Nannie came over he offered it to her. She said, "Oh mama, you are flirting with a soldier!"

Mrs. Blackford in Tennessee

My stay in Richmond was pleasant although I did find my baggage had not been transferred with me when I changed cars at Charlottesville. There were many gay parties and I attended the Governor's Ball. Then came the word for which I was waiting. I hurried back to Lynchburg and was soon on my way to East Tennessee. The road had been opened up to Russelville and I was escorted by Captain Whaling. I remember little of the long, tedious hours other than the fact I was on my way to rejoin my husband. Mr. Blackford joined the train at Russelville with the word that the train had been ordered to take us two miles further down the track to Judge Barton's where we were to stay. Nannie and her nurse, Mary, were with me. We were there two days, then the army moved to New Market. Longstreet was just about to advance when he received orders to send a large force to Johnston to take the place of the troops Johnston had sent to reinforce Polk in repelling Sherman's raid into Mississippi. Longstreet had to fall back to Greenville to protect his base of supplies and communications. On the 21st of February we got orders to move to Greenville. In the morning we started out. I rode the roan while Nannie and Mary rode in the forage wagon on top of the shucks and Mr. Blackford stayed with the wagon while I rode with the other members of the court. The weather was fine and we made twenty miles, camping in the yard of a Mr. Shields near Blue Springs. Mr. Blackford, Nannie and myself got a room in the house but took our meals with the mess. We arrived in Greenville the next day while Richmond, Mr. Blackford's courier, rode ahead to find quarters for us. Nannie rode behind Mr. Blackford eighteen miles. Behind us we could hear cannon but there appeared to be no serious fighting as Longstreet and his staff rode near us. Richmond secured a snug little cottage with two rooms belonging to a Mr. Stewart. We made ourselves very comfortable, Mr. Blackford and myself occupying one room and Captain Cochran, Launcelot and Richmond the other. That room we also used as a dining room, office and sitting room.

May 12th

My writing desk has been open all day, yet I have just found time to write you. Mrs. Spence came after me just as I was about to begin this morning and said she had just heard that the Taliaferro's factory was full of soldiers in a deplorable condition. I went down there with a bucket of rice milk, a basin, towel, soap, etc. to see what I could do. I found the house filled with wounded men and not one thing provided for them. They were lying about the floor on a little straw. Some had been there since Tuesday and had not seen a surgeon. I washed and dressed the wounds of about fifty and poured water over the wounds of many more. The town is crowded with the poor creatures, and there is really no preparations for such a member. If it had not been for the ladies many of them would have starved to death. The poor creatures are very grateful, and it is a great pleasure to us to help them in any way. I have been hard at work ever since the wounded commenced coming. I went to the depot twice to see what I could do. I have had the cutting and distribution of twelve hundred yards of cotton cloth for bandages, and sent over three bushels of rolls of bandages, and as many more yesterday. I have never worked so hard in all my life and I would rather do that than anything else in the world. I hope no more wounded are sent here as I really do not think they could be sheltered. The doctors, of course, are doing much, and some are doing their full duty, but the majority are not. They have free access to the hospital stores and seem their own health demands that they drink up most the brandy and whiskey in stock, and being fired up most the time, display a cruel and brutal indifference to the needs of the suffering which is a disgrace to their profession and to humanity.

Next Morning

It is now but a little after five o'clock, and as I go to the hospitals directly after breakfast I have arisen early to finish my letter. Almost all the men at Taliaferro's are Longstreet's men and express the greatest desire to see the General. When I told the men I had been in East Tennessee with them they seemed most pleased. Your mother is much interested in the soldiers. They seem to arouse her more than anything else. She does a great deal for them.