Letter to Mrs. Stephen D. Horton - Octr 29 '64 Transcription of a letter found in the effects of Ida PRIEST (Mrs. Jason Westerman Newton, SR) After her death, Tampa, 1966 (Original spelling and punctuation has been retained) Original letter is in the possession of her granddaughter, Sandra Lake (Newton) Lassen, transcriber. This Horton family is somehow aligned to the Priest and Lamororeux families. I would be happy to exchange information on these lines. Email me at: or write: 1499 Lakeside Drive, West Jefferson, NC 28694 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Envelope bears the address: "Mrs. Stephen D. Horton, City Island, Westchester Co.,NY" ******************************************************* David's Island Octr 29 '64 Mary, dear sister, Ask Mrs. Doane how you are. I wonder if you and your children can catch as much of this beautiful sun light as I can. I dreamed of eating grapes last night hence, must have been somewhere around the store. I wish I had thought to have asked Mr. Van how his interview with Powers terminated. I think G.A.P. was as nicely flank'd, to the amount of 2 or $300.00 as Atlanta was by Sherman. I would like to be with you tomorrow, like to take a twenty four hours lease of civilization, but time passes so quickly, in Brooklyn, that I say "good bye" before the echo of my greeting is lost. The 48 hours of last week passed with you would have served as an excellent metaphor for any melancholy discourse on human life. I am afraid that Mother only looked through my coat and pants for the requested key. Very possibly it is on the floor of [Corts? Coats?] or her room. I haven't it or I wouldn't of course have written for it. If a further search will not result successfully, I shall be compelled to pry up my desk lid. Remember me to her with much affection. The most touching thing I ever read was a line of one of her letters; "trouble is fast turning my hair white." It was only a more eloquent rendering of #my# opinion for the last three years. How are you again. How long the days must seem to you. Fate has decreed that your home should be made pleasant by appreciation. I am grateful of fate. So you like Large men for President. What a slim chance Pop and I would stand and what a fearful majority Daddy Lambert would have. You women all like large men and us little fellows have to grin and bear it, as I told Eliza she would have to. I think you would rather have your big-hearted husband President, than anyone. I would then come out with a fine biography of the President's wife and have my face with hers, in every album in the world. Don't you think that the little courtships of Mrs. President would read well if the book was "embellished" with the several woodcuts of her admirers, finish'd with that of Mr.[?] with his arms around Lulu and what's her name, the Grocery in the background? Seriously, I feel deeply and earnestly as to our national destiny. I shudder as the thought of votes for McClellan. If he is elected there will be no pride in either your or I being Americans, for our nationality, the Constitution, will be null and void. No wonder that Henry Ward Beecher's great heart is so moved. There are a great many Copperheads here; and, sometimes I have to leave the room or disgrace myself by fighting. I don't #argue# with dis-unionists. I would rather shoot them. I felt so mortified at that [several words obscured by crease in paper] ------ because ------ Army of the Potomac were obliged to run, turn our backs; the most wretched, deplorably wretched system of a chicken hearted Leader. Mr. V. thinks it a good joke to laugh at my running; but, 100,000 ran with me. I was one of the #few# who were the last to leave. My Captain has got my record. Well, I don't write to you as often as I think of you. Your little girl seems as near me as myself. Both your welfares are very near to Your Brother, Sam Kind regards to all ****************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ******************************************************************