Thursday, May 15, 2014

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, November 16, 1861

Winchester, November 16th

Don't you tremble when you see that you have to read such a long letter, for I'm going to write it just as full as it can hold. And you wish that I could have my headquarters at Mr. Grigsby's? I tell you this is a much better place for my pet. You can have plenty of society of charming ladies here, and the Rev. Mr. Graham, our Presbyterian minister, lives in the second house from here, his door being only about thirty yards from our gate. This house belongs to Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, of the Fourth Virginia Volunteers, and has a large yard around it. The situation is beautiful. The building is of cottage style and contains six rooms. I have two rooms, one above the other. My lower room, or office, has a matting on the floor, a large fine table, six chairs, and a piano. The -walls are papered with elegant gilt paper. I don't remember to have ever seen more beautiful papering, and there are five paintings hanging on the walls. If I only had my little woman here, the room would be set off. The upper room is neat, but not a full story, and is, I may say, only remarkable for being heated in a peculiar manner, by a flue from the office below. Through the blessing of our ever-kind Heavenly Father, I am quite comfortable. I have much work to perform, and wouldn't have much time to talk to my darling except at night; but then there is so much pleasant society among the ladies here that you could pass your time very agreeably. I hope to send for you just as soon as I can do so, with the assurance that I am in winter-quarters.

SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 209-10

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