Your letter of 26 Feby with the key, came today. The trunk itself arrived last saturday and I have been looking for the letter ever since. Both have indeed had a long trip. Do the high waters delay the mail still? I was in hope, the railroads, particularly the Meridian and Selma connections had made you independent of Tubb's: & other ugly creeks, but as I see your last letters have been sent via Mobile, I suppose the Selma railroad does not come up to all that was hoped from it. As to the trunk, it came in good order with all its contents. I could not wait for the key, so I engineered the hasp off without injury and was soon deep in the treasures it protected. I was truly thankful that the principal treasure arrived safely. It was soon transferred to the place prepared for it over the mantel piece and it looks lovingly down on me as I write. It is the last thing my eye rests on at night, and the first that

greets me in the morning, and I have felt decidedly less lonely since it arrived. I thank you very much for sending it, as well as the other contents of the trunk, all of which are acceptable. As to the books you could not find, one of them was a mistake of my own. For "Republican Court," (which I once had for sometime belong to Miss Bester) I should have said, Beautiful Women of All Countries I think it is, or Shakespeare's heroines. Carlisle & Experience of life have probably been borrowed by someone. The vice would have been able to take a more vicious hold of any thing, if the screw & little wrench bar, to close its jaws had come with it. I suppose they are somewhere near the place where it was, & the boot stretcher would have been the better for the little brass knobs that belong to it, but these can be sent some other time, if they can be found. The sugar & coffee, & candles, soap &c were also very acceptable as well as every thing else you sent. I expect I shall have to get you send the sugar in the barrel, as it sells here now at $1 per bx -- Tell Miss Lucy I saw her Mischief in the Manifold writer. You'll all make me think I am desperately in love with that lady yet. Mittie mentions the Major. Has he found

his way back to Gainesville again, & did he go to Tuskaloosa to see Mit. May be Miss Lucy can tell. Did Mr. D go too? By the way I got a charming letter from Mit last week -- fresh and natural just like herself, without the remotest symptoms of the school girl about it: test her as you will, she comes out right, and always will now, I am sure. Few were ever made like her, as the future will prove, no less than the past has done. I'll write her very soon.

Thursday Morning 19th

I have just been looking over your letter of 17 Feb which is very full of items of all sorts. Glad as I would be to have you in Aiken I regret your not coming the less, on account of the short stay you proposed to make. It requires months here to make an observable impression. My improvement has been very slow, but it is decided. You seem to have had a painful attack at Eutaw, and were welcomed home by a bad state of things at the plantation. I am glad to hear by your last however, that all are improving now and I sincerely hope that the returning spring may bring you improved health, and also that the terrible epidemic you have had at the farm may prove your year's share of sickness there, for the brunt of it falls on you. Poor Edw. Misty has a hard time of it indeed, but it is probable he will recover now. I was amused with Willie's idea of his future prospects of the "Ankees" They will certainly have to get a good deal better then they have been ever to get to Heaven -- the infamous

brutes. The war is almost a just punishment to us for having lived so long as we did in the same government with them. And yet there are still some that would admit some of the Northwestern states. It reconciles one somewhat to Davis to know that he is understood to be utterly opposed to any approach to such aÊthing. On the contrary I hope he intends to invade them, as well as Pennsylvania &c this summer and get some sort of satisfaction out of them for the untold villainies they have committed against us. From what I can learn, it is his intention to do so. As to the present prospect, I think it a cheering one. Our army is in first rate order every where, healthy, seasoned to hardship, and well armed and clad at last. We have officers in every way admirable, and are thoroughly united at home. A good sized fleet sails from Europe the last of this month to be added to our navy, and every now & then we destroy or Capture a fine vessel on our inland waters. Thirty powerful iron clads that have been quietly building on different rivers, are nearly ready to go out, & these, with the European ones, will catch the Yankees between two fires, and capture I hope enough of their best vessels to give us equality on the water with them. If they attack either Charleston, Savannah, Vicksburg or Port Hudson, they are almost sure to be defeated, and equally so on land, if they ever hazard another battle. I think it probable we shall retake N. Orleans before very long. The "Horse marines" are revolving the idea, and if they can get hold of another Indianola or so, they will try it certainly, and if things go right about Vicksburg & Port Hudson will do it any how so that what with these considerations, the sickness & disaffection in the Yankee Army, & their troubles at home, our prospects are better then ever before. But good bye. Best love & regards to each and every one, Miss L. included, as I am forgiving. Cannot Mr. D. make her behave? I understand he hopes to have the right some day to make her do so.

Yours Affly
L.H.A.