5 August
Mrs. Stevens wrote me a note yesterday morning to say that she had permission from her husband to join him at Vicksburg and she would be glad to take letters or a parcel for John so we all wrote letters made them in a packet and gave them to her for she came in the afternoon to see us. This morning she went off on her long journey to reach her husband. I hope she will get there safe, and find them well. I showed her the Ambrotypes of my 5 eldest sons & introduced her to John.—
We were all very much delighted a few days since by getting a letter from William announcing his change to Fort Sumpter he had received a Commission from Richmond as 2nd Lieutenant in the Calhoun’s Artillery, we had given up all expectation of W’s getting any thing and I am very glad for us all and particularly for his sake.—There had been so many applications for him and all had so entirely failed. The last was in the Sharp Shooters his name was put down by Gen Evens but the Major’s Bing Smith was one made interest to have his name taken off and a friend of their own put in the place. This was a very disagreeable thing and we all felt worried by it, but now if his health is good in our climate there is always a terrible risk in a change and fever seems to lurk in every place. I feel very anxious about him & John. We sent down his trunk and as in this out of the way place there is no express. Adam was sent to Columbia to put the trunk, and a parcel containing the sheets and the key of the trunk in the express, it cost $5. 50 the whole thing.—