Rosalie De Wolf Hopper letter to Abby Hopper Gibbons

My dear sister

I am sure that
even among the terrible scenes
through which thee & dear Sally
are passing, you will be glad
to hear that Mr. Heasy is at
home. He arrived early Saturday
morning, arriving by Transport
Massachusetts to Philadelphia,
taking the night train home.
He is detached from the Chippewa,
ordered north, and waiting
orders. [Captain Stowe] advised
him not to ask for leave of
absence, & I dont doubt he is
riht. He is looking very well
and is in good spirits. He is
very sorry not to see thee and
Sally, and sends his best love.
He believes & so do I, that thy
letter to Senator Grimes did the
[?] for him. Willie is perfectly
lovely with him, and

[sideways along left margin]
and he shall have the photographs. Julia & Lucy have just
come in,
and Julia says
thee had better
send a note
to the [Sanitation Committee]
letting
them know
that Mrs
Johnson
is going
to give
thee.
Farewell
dear sister.
Ever so much
love to Sally
All [?]
best love
Ever thy loving
sister, Rosa

[left side]

of course Bill is delighted with
him. Ed Russell sailed today
for California. We shall greatly
miss him. He manifested a
great deal of feeling when he
parted from us all. How
much coming and going we
have had during the last few
months, especially the [underlined] going [/underlined].
Mr. Thompson stayed with
us until Saturday, and greatly
enjoyed the freedom and
[?] he had found at one house.
The last two evenings he was
with us we played whist, to
his [entire edification?].
Tonight Julia & Lucy have
taken compassion upon [from?]
Langdall and gone with him
to Wallach's. Tomorrow Julia
goes to Staten Island to pass
a night with Emily. I [expect?]
Clara Thomas will get to
you as soon as this letter, if

[sideways along left margin]
Mrs Watson has been here today, and I am tired and

[sideways along right margin]
[?] tonight. So please expect my [?] note, but

[right side]
not before as she said she should
leave today or tomorrow. John
wrote immediately to Hannah
Sherman, but he & Julia decided
it would be better for Mrs.
Johnson & Clara to go independently
of each other. We are
with you constantly in spirit,
during your trying experiences.
Oh! how fearful it must be to
witness such horrible suffering
& mutilation, but how blessed
to alleviate the agonies about you.
Willie's cold is better; but he
has had a short spell of toothache.
Tomorrow morning Bill and
I are going to try & get out to
see Sara & poor Aunt Eliza.
Kate and her boys came over to
dine with Bill today. We are
all rejoiced to have the dear
soul home again. His stay is uncertain,
but we hope for three
or four weeks. He will not go
back to the Chippewa. Capt.

[sideways along left margin]
I could not wait any longer to let thee know that

[sideways along right margin]
[William HH] had come

[?] gave him a firstrate letter.
Mrs. Silsbee called here today &
I told her what you said about
the million made at the Fair.
Anna Lowing Dresel expects to be
confirmed in July. You must
have just missed seeing [?]
[?] at Belle Plain. Sarah has
a letter from him dated at Belle
Plain, only a day or two before
you reached there. He went
there with some prisoners.
I enclose letters from James
Thayer and E. Hun. Please
say to Lincoln Thayter if you
see him again, that a letter I
wrote him last January thanking
him for his lovely presents
to me & to Willie and everything
photographs of Willie & John,
came back to me from the said
letter office last week. Remember
me cordially to him and
tell him my thanks are just
as warm as they were last winter.