Lieut Robert S. Edwards
48 Reg^t N.Y. Volunteers

My dear Robin

     Your last pleasant letter of early May dates is out at La Concordia & not available for reference at present.
     This letter leaving China by the first September mail cannot I think reach you much ere the middle of Nov^r or 1 of December. So much may have happened ere that time that my answer to your letter of May dates will I fear seem a good deal out of time —
     I am sorry to note your feeling towards McClellan & do not at all agree with your views You say you see no reason to suspect the Congressional Committee of unfairness — If it be fair to suppress evidence, to give garbled reports, to publish accusative testimony & to withhold that which would rebut it then the Committee are not unfair — In my opinion, based on the pamphlet (not the Times extracts from it) of the Prince de Joinville, on the evidence before the Court of Inquiry of Gen^ls McDowell and Hooker and on Gen^l McClellans correspondence with the President, Richmond

might & would have been taken after the battle of Hanover Court House when McDowell's and Fitz John Porter's commands were only 14 miles apart. The Imbecility to use no stronger term of the Government saved Jeff Davis' capital and imperilled our own, and caused the unavailing carnage in the seven days battles — But enough of this, perhaps in God's sight we needed this additional suffering to teach us how far we were from being morally equal to the occasion — It must it seems be burnt into us with blood and death fire that Slavery must cease and at once — There must be no more tampering with right trying to fit it to our changing ideas of what is expedient —
     When our people as a people rise to the level of the crisis and honestly will that where our rule extends there and at that instant Slavery ceases then and not till then I think may we hope for this war to end and the Union of our fathers to be restored — Sooner or later this will happen — The war has changed me from a negative AntiSlavery man to an earnest advocate of immediate Emancipation & I can but think that to thousands of others it

worked a corresponding or stronger change —
     Next year before this time I suppose your Regiment will be disbanded as its time will have expired or have you kept on enlisting new men enough on sufficient scale to continue the organization — You see I have no faith in the speedy conclusion of the war & think that you will be wise to look ahead a little & see where you are to be left — I regret your prejudice against colored troops as otherwise you could probably have obtained a command in Gen^l Banks "Corps d'Afrique' — Whatever you decide or are planning please let me know about I want as far as possible to go along with you in thought —
     By last mail I wrote to M^r Tucker to come back he will probably be here at the close of the year. Then Palmer goes away for a trip & on his return my turn will come — It is a long while to look ahead but will soon pass —
     Notwithstanding the earthquake and its attendant losses we shall I think make a good years business not equal to that of last year perhaps but still get a comfortable sum to the fore — I am very far from a rich man but I am something better than square with the world & with affairs in a very prosperous train —

Your godchild grows apace she is lively as a cricket — She can now walk a few steps alone & I expect will soon give up creeping altogether — of course to her Mamma & to me she is a wonderful bairn — Her eyes are bright & full of fun & altogether she looks "much better than bad" —
I will leave a little room to answer your letter in.

OEE

20th August.

Dear Robin, Mail going tomorrow, and I know that dear man at the Office is greatly pressed with work. Will you mind very much if I venture myself to fill up this blank space?
It is a cool blowy rainy-season morning, & I have been taking advantage of it to accomplish a host of household matters,—among other things to mix a quantity of mince meat, for pies, substituting bananas for apples. I wish you could have the result when it presently comes out of the oven!
And where, by the way, would it have to go to find you? I cannot tell you how earnestly I hope there has been no disappointment this time about the furlough. I am impatient to hear that you and Annie were enjoying yourselves and each other as you certainly deserved to do. For us, we move on very much as usual. To be sure we have a larger family since the earthquake, which is not quite so pleasant, but we are too thankful to have a whole roof to cover all to think much about the difference. Day after tomorrow Ned is to sail for Albay, to pay George Peirce a visit, & he is anticipating great enjoyment in making the acquaintance of a new country, with its butterflies, etc.
But here I am at the end & have not yet thanked you for the beautiful fruit-basket rec'd from you last month. Best thoughts of & for you will accompany its use, you may be sure. God bless you, dear Robin, & bring us all to meet again.

Ever lovingly,
Nellie.

P.S. 21 Aug M^rs Peirce paid all up -- Hurrah! OEE