Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — October 9, possibly 1861 · Greer Heritage Museum collection

Title

Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — October 9, possibly 1861

Accession Number

2022.1.1.4

Accession Date

February 4, 2023

Accession Creator

David Lovegrove

Depositor

Shuman B. Gerald, III

Description

This letter has been entirely crumpled up, then flattened; it has stains, is very worn, and many parts are nearly illegible. She’s flirting with men who aren’t W.C. Bailey, which implies this is before their relationship develops; and she references deserters being rounded up, indicating the war has been going for a little while.

Storage Location

General Archive Box #7 Folder #1

Text

Pleasant Grove
October 9 ?/862 [?]

My dear sister
It is with no small degree of pleasure that I embrace the present opportunity of writing to an absent sister. Your kind and welcome letter came safely [on hand ?] in due time cont??? read with much pleasure,
I suppose you have not heard of my trip to the Mountains. there was a party of twenty, ten ladies & ten Jents, Cousin Joe LaFayette & John Montgomery the Miss [Gibons ?] & Columbus & Bonney Cunningham and the [Collins ?] from the city of Marietta I left home on tuesday and returned the Monday following, [illegible] Caezars head & [Ceedar ?] Mountain N.C. had a fine time never enjoyed myself any better, although I had visited each place before, You could not expect any thing else, when I had such a nice gallant, I will not tell his name now, but can tell you he is Midshipman in the Navy. has his coat almost covered with buttons. Educated at Anapolis Maryland he is from Marietta S.C. I was very anxious for Mary & Officer [??g?] but they thought best not to leave school. I should advise every one to visit the Mountains. enough for the Mountain party. We was invited to a dinner party at Uncle [Charles?] the day LaFayette left for the army it was given to him [Seather?] Alice & myself went, we had a fine time. Mary would not leave school,
Brother John is a member of the [Boykin rangers?] stationed at Marietta. We spent a night there as we returned from mountains was introduced to several Jents who came to the hotel to see the ladies I saw one nice young in particular you can guess his name.
They are a fine looking company riding such splendid horses, they passed here last friday & returned on sunday had been in the neighborhood of Reidville they have taken up a great many deserters & conscripts, Capt McGuire from the coasts is up on the same business he has some blood Hounds with which he trails the men, it is reported they caught Middleton Cox with dogs and tore him pretty badly, persons think he will be shot; this is the third time he has got away.
We are very busy right now making Jeans I am trying to make me a Cloak but am fearful will not do much at it I saw one the other day it looked nice. There has been a protracted meeting going on at Milford. Pa Mother & Mary went last sunday Alice & myself went to sunday school Pa Mother & I went on tuesday heard a very good sermon from Uncle Landrum you know he never preaches anything but good sermons, his son Furman is sick has spinal affection walks on crutches. I promised him to spend some time there this winter. I forgot to mention – Mary L Uncle Theron & wife was at Uncle Chevis Mary sent love to you, as we returned from Church who do you think we saw sitting on the [buggy?] it was Cousin Scott [Montgomery?] from Texas he was wounded in the [late?] battles in [Georgia?] & [illegible] not get [illegible] at [illegible, several words] his relations [illegible] he looks very badly has not been home in over [four?] years. He has [this? Illegible] & one brother in law in the army [illegible] very poorly [Clad?] we are going to make [him?] some [illegible phrase] I am [hoping?] for [illegible] he is a [illegible phrase] boy. [ illegible sentence or two ] she can get to see you this fall, Pa has got to be such a [business man?] he is always [illegible phrase]
[up the side:] all [?] in love to you all Vic

Relation

Etta Bailey Burgiss papers