Transcription

                    Lynchburg May 30^th 1861

My Dear Aunt

     We received your letter yesterday.  Were

very glad to hear you arrived at home safely.

Hoppie Goodman stopped here and told [us?] you had

gotten safely as far as Farmville.  Howard Wood came

in to meet him went down to the depot but did not see

him so concluded he had not come and came on up

here – She had been in only a few minutes when Hoppie

came.  Mr. McGee came up yesterday – said every body

had left Hampton and the Federal troops had taken

possession of the town.  He could not get a waggon

to move his furniture as every body was moving away.

Some persons had to leave every thing not even taking their

clothes.  One gentleman lost forty servants.  He said it

was sad, sad to see the state of things down there.

The yankees had turned the cattle and horses into the

wheat fields.  Mr. Winfree will go into camp next week.

I feel very sad abut it but think it his duty to go.

    Annie received a dispatch saying her sister is worse.

She will go down tomorrow or next day.  Sisters Martha &

Mary are over there today helping her get ready.

I feel very sorry for her – Brother John says if Mr Winfre[e]

goes to war he is going too that he doesn’t mean for him

to go without him. Annie is afraid he may go while