Dear Annie

     No doubt you think me a very poor correspondent but I have not been able to write you since I heard the sad news of dear Rob's death — I sympathize most sincerely with you dear Annie in this great trial & for that very reason I have not intruded upon your sorrow Dear Rob—how nobly he gave up his precious life for our country—would that I were worthy of so noble a death — Your welcome letter of Nov. 17th lies before me — All that you tell me, or that I hear thro your letters to Ogden & Nellie, of our Rob is very sweet to me—it is a great comfort to think that if we must loose him, it was for so glorious a cause. God alone knows what suffering & sorrow is caused by this war, it is for no mean end, that he allows it. We will be a better nation than before—& shall be purified of that dark spot, that all these years has been the stumbling block to our countrys real advancement — I am glad dear Annie that as you say you "feel like one of us"

— I hope you will be with mother & Mollie (untill perhaps you change the Miss for the Mrs) — You all seem to take such comfort together — You must remember me to your Auntie Miss Sheppard—by the way —& tell her I have distinct recollection of a the race referred to — It is pleasant to me to think that you liked Newburgh, for you know there is no place I like better — I see on rereading your letter to me you ask me "When did I last see Rob? it was long ago—one day in '58 or '59 as I was going off a Fulton Ferryboat on the Brooklyn side I met him going on—on his way to Phila. & I just had time to say one word & that was all—his photograph that you so kindly sent me, is different from what he looked as I remember him still with a familiar look — Will not you send me your own Photograph for my Album? I am soon going to have some taken & I will then send you one — In the box we sent home the other day per "Caduceus," I enclosed a little "recuerdo" of Manila for you A Piña 'kerchief—which I hope you will like — Is not there something

that you would like particularly from Manila? if so do let me know & if it be possible I will send it you — This is Lent now & such a very disagreeable season has not been seen here for years, we had in Jany & Feby some very cold weather Mercury even going down to 65° in exposed places, the result is that now we are beginning to have hot weather & shall have (probably) the worst season in that respect known this long time—to add to all this the pulling down & putting up buildings has of course caused a vast amount of rubish, lime, stones bricks &c &c—to accumalate—all this stuff the Govt have been having carted off & put on all the streets & roads about Manila — So we have the full benefit of Lime dust & one is really stiffled in driving about — Then everybody lives so far apart that unless you have a carriage to go about in you can not get around to see any of your friends which adds to the attractions of the place — Manila is a very different place from what it was before the Terremoto — We have our offices in the old Corrales house—using the Caida for that purpose

Huntington & I have have a Sala & two rooms on one side of the house & take our meals here & all hands breakfast here — Huntington has now gone away to Albay for his health & in the meantime I have had Capt Raulett of the Ship "Surprise." staying with me—he will sail in a day or two & then I will be alone till Huntington returns — Mr. Tucker came back the other day & seems a very pleasant fellow & I think I shall like him much — Tony also came back, you remember him do you not? he is in Russell & Sturgis, Some three or four of the clerks at R & S. have died lately, or have been obliged to leave on a/c of their health & they have got out some five new chaps to take their places—one of the fellows they got out, has been sent down to Albay to assist Geo. Peirce. Geo. by the way, is rejoicing over the arrival at Albay of three Spanish ladies two of them young & pretty — It is getting dark now & I must stop With much love believe ever yours aff

Ned