This is the story of the lives of the people who live in Foggy Bottom, VA

My dear Husband,

It was so wonderful to receive your letter.  It has been so long since I have heard from you.  I read your old letters over and over again.  I am glad to hear your health is good.  The children are getting over a cold and have been trying hard to help me with choirs.  We are still staying part of the week with my cousin Miss Kim.  She and her Husband have been so kind with there help.  We have a guest staying in our cabin now.  After reading your letter I had quite a chuckle.  A couple of weeks ago a lady arrived in town lookin for a place to stay.  I was in the Apothecary getting some Turpentine , which by the way is very scarce.  I was talking with Miss Tracy when she mentioned that there was a lady at the Boarding house lookin for her Husband and Son.  Well after a nice talk with Miss Tracy I headed out and in passing stopped in to the boarding house.  I asked Miss Shouse about the new lady in town.  She pointed her out sitting in the parlor by the window.  I went over and introduced myself and told her I would be glad to help her in any way while she was in town. She introduced herself as Melinda.   We had a lovely talk as she told me about her travel and search for her husband and now her son who had disappeared in Staunton. I let her know if she would like she could stay at our place being the kids and I were staying with Miss Kim most the time.  She was grateful and accepted and has really taken to FoggyBottom.  I know the ladies love her for she is willing to take on any critter and she has made some wonderful meals out of Porcupine and squirrel.  I knew after reading your letter that she would be so happy to hear her son was safe.  Be sure and watch over him and keep him safe.  As I think maybe you should have Pvt. Dowling watch over him knowing how you seem to get yourself in some tight spots.  Please take care of yourself and I do Hope this war will end soon.  How I do miss you and pray for the day of a safe return for you and all the boys of FoggyBottom!

Your Loving Wife,

Jennifer

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

  15, December

My dearest wife,

     I hope this letter finds you and the children in good health and spirits, despite the onset of the winter that is to come.  The Army has begun to make winter quarters not too far from Staunton, just east of the Blue Ridge.  Rumor around the camps is that some of the boys may get to return home for the holidays and bring back some much-needed supplies. 

     While on pickett duty just the other day, some of the lads captured a Federal supply wagon.  I was able to obtain some medicines that will be very welcome.  I am sure you will put them to good use in the shop. I am sending what I can back to you with Mr. Johnson.  He has been a real savior to the men in the field.  In all my years, I have never seen a man so capable of procuring the goods like he does. 

     Most of the men here are doing their best to keep spirits high.  It has been getting bitterly cold at nights.  There have been some desertions, but none from our company.  These are good men, who will see this thing through to the end.  Young Matthew Wright has arrived in camp recently to join his father in the fight.  He is proving to be quite the soldier.  The Lieutenant should be proud.  Let Miss Stephanie know that everyone is looking out for the boy.  She has enough to worry about keeping the store open. 

     I pray that this war will be over before Brian comes of age and decides to try and join me here in this conflict.  Do try and keep his mind off of the fighting and more in the books.  I do hope that Kelcey is becoming a much needed help to you running the shop and the house. 

     It is Christmas Eve and we are all so very far from our homes and loved ones.  The boys of the company have set their minds to carry on despite the situation.  A detachment was sent to bring a right lovely tree into camp to help us make this place feel more like home.  Everyone decorated it with what ever they could find.  It was quite a sight to see.  The old pine was covered in paper snowflakes and bits of hardtack and salted pork.  Thank you for the warm scarf that you made.  I shall put it to good use.

Take care ,my darling, and God bless you and the children.   May we be together again soon in happier times.

                                                Your loving husband,

                                                Michael

____________________________________________________________________________

2 December 1861

I was sitting here by the fire remembering the events of the year and decided I should put pen to paper and record these times so people wont forget.  In the future they may think we were right or they may think we were wrong, fact was at the time we thought we was doing the right thing protecting our homes and way of life. 

Fore, I get to the stories I need to tell yall about the folks that live in Foggy Bottom. Yall got to know the folks to understand the stories. Course there were more folks than I have mentioned and I apologize to anyone not mentioned. You have to remember this has been a very rough year and it is difficult to remember everyone and everything.

Foggy Bottom was a quiet little cove located south of Winchester, Virginia.  There were quite a few people that had settled in Foggy Bottom, it was an ideal spot, there was a good size creek that ran through the valley to supply the power to the grain mill that was built there. Rich fertile soil that could sustain a hardworking family and the hills and hollers were full of game for the taking, it was a good place to make a living and raise a family. We were a close knit community before the war and the war only brought us closer.

Foggy Bottom bank is owned by my husband Mr. Piazza .The townsfolk called him "The Pres." We have a home in town, in keeping with our position of the holder of the towns wealth. Course when the war of Northern Aggression came, Mr. Piazza signed up as a private. He could have held an officers position seeing as how he put up some of the money to fund the home guard. But he said a private was good enough for him.

 Our general store is owned by a nice young couple the Wrights with their young so n Matthew. They have living quarters above the store. A person could get all manner of items from the Wrights including the latest gossip and news. If you wanted a good piece of meat and some juicy gossip, the "Foggy Bottom General Store" was the place to go.   

Cookie Dewitt is the towns cabinet maker and undertaker. He made the most beautiful furniture and could knock together a lovely casket as needed. We, womenfolk, always said that Miss Mimi, his wife, was a saint to put up with that husband of hers.  I tell you if Miss Mimi did not keep that man busy, he could stir up all kinds of trouble. He and his friend Black John were always stirring up something in the town. Why, I remember at a church meetin Miss Elizabeth referring to them two as" That Cookie feller and his trashy friend". Well, we all knew who she was talking bout.

 Black John, so named because of his shady background, owns the local tavern.  Course the womens church group was and still is opposed to a business of this nature, but the men seemed to find it a decent place to gather. Mr. Piazza says that it is more like a mens club than a drinking house.  Black John has a room at Cookie and Miss Mimis house and she says he is quite the gentleman.  Well, the womenfolk thought different. Wed see him around town all gussied up with his mustache all just so, and looking for trouble. And that man did not have to look far to find trouble, in fact, it usually found him.

Big John and his wife Maureen have a home in town also. Big John was before the war the town marshal and we had few trouble s since no one wanted to cross Big John.  Miss Maureen works in the bank for Mr. Piazza which is usual, but Mr. Piazza said she has a head for figures as good as a man. But Miss Maureen can not drive a wagon; I remember she wrecked at least three this past summer!  And with Mr. Darren and Mr. Danny off to war there is no one to repair them. She keeps this up there will be no decent wagons to be had in Foggy Bottom.

Mr. Eugene Johnson and his lovely wife Elizabeth have a lovely home and before the war entertained frequently. Everyone wanted an invite to dinner at the Johnsons.  But, Miss Elizabeth  is choosy about who sits at her table. Mr. Johnson is a land speculator, who during the war so far has become quite the successful blockade runner. Foggy Bottom has supplies when others do not cause Mr. Johnson takes right good care of his town.

The Foggy Bottom Church is in the capable hands of the Rev. William Thompson and his lovely wife Jayne. The Reverend provides the spiritual courage that we all need to face these hard times. And when able he attends to our men. He takes packages and news to them from home and brings news back to us here in Foggy Bottom when ever he can.

Before the war the livery was run by Mr. Darren Thomas. He and his wife Connie and their children, Cody and Alexis, live in a home right down the street from Mr. Piazza and I. Mr. Thomas could not only shoe your horse but made the loveliest items that you ever did see. I remember at the church social a pair of his candlesticks made from iron created quite the stir. Women were practically fighting over who was going to get them.

We had another blacksmith before Mr. Thomas arrived , Mr. Steve  Bane, problem was Mr. Bane kept wandering off, you would need a horse shoed  or a grate for the fireplace  repaired and he was no where to be found. He was usually hunting or consorting with the few Indians that lived way up in the hills above Foggy Bottom. He finally has found himself a nice woman and has settled on a small farm on the outskirts of town. She is quite the horse person and has raised a small herd of horses and keeps the livery and the area farms supplied.

Mrs. Sonjia Graf and Mrs. Deanna Linkous are the local seamstresses and keep all the ladies in the latest fashions. They have a small store on Main Street that sells material and ready made dresses and such. You can also find all the materials to make a lovely bonnet or to redecorate an old one. We ladies would have despaired of keeping fashionable if not for these two ladies.  Mrs. Dees husband, Mr. Danny, is the local machinist and he kept the mill and all sorts of machinery running in our town before the war. Mr. Danny became the captain of our men when they were called up to serve the Confederacy.  Mr. Graf is away on business much of the time.

Gary Griggs owns the local paper and before the war made sure that the folks of Foggy Bottom were well informed. Great discussions concerning all matte r of topics could be heard at the offices of the "Foggy Bottom Courier". Mr. Griggs could also be counted on when the need of an orator arose. His vast knowledge of all matter of subjects was known far and wide.

Mr. Gary Lange is our post master; he also had the responsibility of running the telegraph office. Several posters were hung there of wanted men. Funny thing was that people often remarked that one of the posters resembled Mr. Lange. But the name on the poster was Charles Madison, so everyone just figured it was one of those odd things, cause if it was Mr.  Lange why would he put his own picture up? Mr. Langes wife is currently running the post office.

John Shouse and his parents Newton and Beth own the local restaurant and boarding house. They have a nice and tidy place and you could always get a decent sandwich and drink there. Newton also takes care of the local railroad station. John is a partner in a local delivery service. He worked most nights delivering goods far and wide. These folks had just recently moved to Foggy Bottom.

The Totten's live in town and Mike was the local gunsmith, he was quite talented in this profession and he could also design a right fine house. In fact, he assisted Mr. Piazza with the plans to add onto our home. But, he had trouble building a fence strong enough to keep his pigs in. Mikes wife, Miss Rella, is the school teacher for the town and she has her hands full with the young boys, seeing as how they all feel that they are men and as such should be at the war with their fathers. Dylan, their son, is a fine strapping lad and can be counted on to help carry wood and water when needed. It wont be long before, I fear; he will run off to join his father and the other men.

The Norton Family, Jim, his wife, Paula, Master Rhett and Miss Paige have a farm on the eastern edge of the valley.  . Master Rhett was courting a girl from the next valley over and is quite smitten with her. In fact, there is a story about him wrecking the buggy on his way to visit her but that is a story to be told later. This summer Rhett joined the men with his father. Miss Paula was very upset.  Miss Paige took all the young men on a dance that one did. She has all these notions about "womens rights" and such.  

The Nortons have quite a flock of chickens even if they are all roosters. Yes, if ya wanted a good rooster the Nortons were the place to go.  We were thankful for those roosters during the war, many a time this summer one graced my table and I did not feel bad eating an old rooster as I would have a nice laying hen.

Across the creek from the Nortons farm is the Edmondsons place. Miss Kelli and her two girls, KK and Kami.  They have a nice little farm. In fact, it was on their farm that the Norton boy had his buggy accident, did some damage he did.

Before the war and during the war the soldiers swarmed like bees to the farm. I tell you Cookie and Black John had to many a time run off some young man they deemed not suitable. Why, I remember one time this summer Miss Kami went to a dance with a nice Confederate private and returned home on the arm of a Captain.  Most the townsfolk thought he was a Federal spy in disguise. Quite the stir that caused Ill tell ya.  The townsfolk speculated for months on whose side the Edmondsons were on. Course we that were close to them knew that Kami had just let a pretty face turn her from the right path. 

Miss Janie and her daughter Nicole live right across from the Edmundsons. Miss Janie is quite talented at knitting smoking hats and all the men look quite fetching in her hats. Miss Nicole is known far and wide for her delicious sausage gravy. Seems she puts in a special ingredient that makes s it taste so good. Miss Nicole is another young lady that cleans up quite well and many a young man has had to be run off.

The Schutte family has a nice little spread on down the creek from the Edmondsons. Gregg, Diane and Adam all live there. Miss Diane could clean a chicken faster than anyone I know. Mr. Gregg along with Tall John Shouse ran a delivery service. Why, they were always delivering things for the General Store. After the war started Gregg stayed behind and helped Mr. Johnson delivery the goods procured from running the blockade. Adam was one of the first boys to join up.

The Dowling family lives farther down the valley at the base of the mountain. It is a right pretty spread. Mr. Mike made all sorts of medicine and sold it through the Wrights general store.  Miss Tracy is the town photographer.

Up near the mill, the Wetherells live, David, Jennifer and their children, Cory, Brandon and Ashton. After the war started David became known as "Stoney", see he so admired the great general "Stonewall Jackson", he wanted to keep a part of that man with him at all times.  They make a living farming and Miss Jen fills in at the school as a teacher as needed. At the gatherings we have, you could always count on Miss Jen to peel the potatoes, why she would peel pounds of potatoes if need be. Stoney came home on leave this summer and left Miss Jennifer with a youngun on the way. Guess, we womenfolk will be attending a birthing this summer.

The Burdines, Benny and Rhonda have quite a farm. Chickens, goats, pigs galore and they bottle the most refreshing liquid libation in one of their barns.  They purchased it by the barrel full from someone who lived way up in the hills above Foggy Bottom and then bottled it and sold it to the Wrights for the general store.

Another young lady moved to Foggy Bottom this past year. Miss Dana Linkous, she is Mr. Dannys daughter. Miss Dana moved into town with her two sons and is still trying to get settled in.

Now you've meet most of the people of Foggy Bottom. Course we had our share of widder women, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Percifield, Mrs. Jones and  her son , Brad,  and Mrs. Gillespie. They are all very nice ladies who having other family obligations are unable to spend as much time with us as they would like. Still we get to see them at the church socials and enjoyed their company then.

So, here we were a happy healthy town, secure in our future and the future of our children. We were a close knit community, course we had our disagreements, like when Black  John provided housing for that Miss Sophie woman at his drinking establishment. He said she was just a poor woman with about ten women friends who were looking for lodging.  We, womenfolk were pretty sure there were some unsavory things going on there. During the summer we women found out that Miss Sophie was writing to some of the men. This of course caused a ruckus between the men folk and their women.

There had been rumblings of a war coming for a long time and the opinion was that if we went to war it would not last long..after all the  Lord was on the  side of the righteous and we were right. A state had the right to govern itself. Course the Northerners wanted to make it a war about slavery, but funny thing was very few people in Foggy Bottom had slaves. Oh, a few had two or three who helped in the house but none like the newspapers up North were telling people.

Our boys got the call to join up and off they went, young and old. How were we supposed to support a home let alone a town with all the men folk gone?  Course we women stood strong and made what uniform items the confederacy could not provide and made the best of the situation. Our men did right by us in making sure that we were provided for but still it was a troubled time.

They all marched out on a clear day and we women and children lined the streets of Foggy Bottom to wave them on to victory, there was a flood of tears shed that day. Some of the ladies that lived out in the country stayed in town for a couple of days and then they had to head home.

The women meet at least once a week at the church group and we keep caught up on the news. I remember sharing our letters from the men.  One time we were able to travel to where the men were camped for a short visit and quite a sight we saw. It appeared that Miss Sophia also had been there to visit. That, Black John was at fault you should have seen his tentand it had spread to Cookies tent, course Cookie was innocent. I remember that Miss Sophia tried to say that they were all involved even Mr. Piazza!  Well, we women knew better.

There was a time too when Mr. Johnson acquired a barrel of crotch powder and sent it to Captain Linkous. He, Cookie and Mr. Piazza, repackaged it and made a tidy profit from its sale. Course they were helping the men, seems there was quite a lot of crotch problems, what with the wool trousers getting wet and such, or so Mr. Piazza said.

Mr. Johnson also kept us in the staples that seemed to be so short in the South. We always had coffee and most the time had sugar. Why, we even had ice in the middle of the summer for our lemonade. We milled our own flour as the men had hid the grain in a cave up in the hills, Mr. Schutte would bring down what we needed in his wagon. We, women, would send boxes of coffee and tobacco for the Captain and Cookie, food, socks and some of the Burdines drink to the men.

The most troublesome time was when the Northern Army was marching on Foggy Bottom. We did not know whether to stay or head out of town for safer quarters. We ended up staying as the men were part of the army that marched to protect Foggy Bottom. We hid all the valuables that we could and hid ourselves up in the hills above Foggy Bottom during the battle. After the battle the men were able to stay for a few days before marching south to Franklin, TN. Franklin. TN was to be the last battle before the men were to take winter quarters.

So, the first year is ending and I fear that it is not ending as well as we hoped. We thought that the war would be over by Christmas and our men folk would be home. But it is not to be.

The women left behind have to carry on the jobs their husbands did and try to keep the family together. They are as tired of the war as the men. But, I see no end in sight.

There will be no battles for at least three months, as the men settle into winter quarters, so we can at least rest easy at night. Thank the lord that we have not lost one man from Foggy Bottom. Most towns have suffered great losses of their men folk; we can only pray that our men will continue to be protected.

So ends the story of Foggy Bottom, VA. in the year 1861.

__________________________________________________________________________

2, December 1862

Dear Captain Dewitt,

We hope this letter finds you and the men of Foggy Bottom safe and sound. We also hope this letter arrives with several boxes that have been sent to you from the Foggy Bottom Ladies.  We wanted you men to know that the folks back home are thinking of you all. 

We are sorry we could not send more but we sent what we had. This summer the ladies and children were able to till a garden up in the meadow above the town, where it was hidden from the Yanks the have been roaming the area.  We were able to get a good harvest of peas and have sent a small bag of split peas to all the men.

We butchered the last hog that was on the Wetherell farm. We hid  it up in the woods and the children had been checking on it. It was a might skinny, seein how it had been living on nuts and whatever it could find in the woods. Miss Wetherell insisted that we smoke the poor skinny thing and divide it up among the town and send part to the men. It is a poor Christmas dinner, split peas and pork bones for you brave men, but we hear that others have less.

Miss Stephanie was able to get some cigars and salt from Eugene Johnson to send also.  Tell Mr. Wright that she and Matthew are doing fine. He is growing into a right fine young man and is a great help in the store for Miss Stephanie.

The ladies at the Gentlemens Club baked a fruit cake to send to the men. Their talents, however, are not located in the kitchen. They had good intentions and want to do their part. The cake was a wretched thing to eat until Miss Tracy brought a bottle of the medicinal spirits that Miss Rhonda brews at her farm, she poured some on the fruit cake and it made it right tolerable.  Tell Black John that the ladies are doing well. Whenever we have a traveler come through town the ladies make sure that the Gentlemans Club welcomes them. The Shouses have closed down the boarding house as Newton is very ill, they have moved to their daughters while he recovers. The ladies hearing this opened the Club as a boarding house. They must do a fine job, as every man leaving appears to be very satisfied with the service. Most of the lady travelers tend to stay above the Wrights store or at the Dowlings. Both Miss Stephanie and Miss Tracy have taken to renting out rooms.

Miss Tracy is kept busy tending to the ailing. She uses a lot of the medicinal brew, it is good for consumption, birthing, and other ailments. Folks from other towns have taken to coming and purchasing Miss Tracys medicines.

Take care and may God keep you all safe and return you all to your loved ones in Foggy Bottom.

The Ladies of Foggy Bottom

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

25, June 1863

Dearest Cousins,

I have meant to write before now, but as this war continues I find my time occupied with keeping hearth and home together but feel it is important to continue the story of Foggy Bottom.  We made it through the winter and were able to send care packages to our men at their winter quarters. Captain Linkous suffered a terrible wound to the hip and back and has been laid up ever since, he spends his days requerating here in Foggy Bottom with Miss Dee.  Cookie Dewitt has assumed the responsiblities of captain and word from Captain Cookie is that all the men survived the winter as well as can be expected. We, here at Foggy Bottom had to tighten our belts but were able to get by. We had a lovely Christmas party with food and gifts for everyone.

There have been a great number of changes here in Foggy Bottom; families coming and going. That nice family the Longneckers, Larry and Jennifer, packed up, sold their farm and moved. They moved to Foggy Bottom last spring and when Larry had Jennifer and their daughter all settled, off he went to join the other men in the 5^th. If you remember Jennifer was expecting just a few weeks after Miss Jen. Larry suffered a leg wound at Preston Plantation and never fully recovered. He was sent home to Foggy Bottom and they soon left to stay with her family while he recuperated.  They sent word they would not be returning and made arrangements to sell the farm, they also sent word that a baby girl had joined their family.

Miss Jo Ellen Nagle and her two daughters, moved to Foggy Bottom from Razorback Ridge. She bought the Longnecker farm. Razorback Ridge has been caught between the two armies several times and is not a safe place for a woman alone. Miss Jo Ellen is quite talented with the herbs and plants that grow wild in the woods. She grows, harvest and dries several different varieties. I have some from her that can make an old dry piece of salt pork right tasty. Jo Ellen sells her herbs to Miss Tracy who mixes them and sells bags for teas, poultices and other medicinal uses.  

The other day at the church meeting, several women were complaining of not feeling well and Miss Tracy used some of Jo Ellens herbs and mixed them with Miss Rhondas elixir.  I tell you right now after a cup of it I felt very fine indeed, after two cups, I was feeling mighty fine. All your aches and pains just disappear; I will send you a bottle. We, women now all take a cup or two each day and everyone feels much better.

This spring, Mr. Bear Young, his wife, Barbara, and son, Travis, moved to Foggy Bottom. They moved from Richmond. Barbara is staying over at the Shouses Boardinghouse. The Youngs have bought the Wetherells old farm but Barbara is more comfortable here in town. She and Travis have a couple of rooms and have been helping keep the boarding house open. There was a gentleman staying there, Mr. Mark Wallace, he stayed for a couple of months, but had business elsewhere and has since left. He was a very nice young man and we wish him well.

Miss Jaynes brother Edward Callaway has moved to Foggy Bottom to be close to she and Bill.

He settled his belongings over at the Gentlemans Club and left to join the rest of the men. He is a very nice young man but Black John has taken him under his wing and I fear that Black John may have an adverse influence on him. You know that we all love Black John, but he is known for his gambling and partaking of an excess of the elixir. Young Ed appears to be a god fearing young man and I hope he is not exposed to many of the vices that Black John may partake of. There is a young lady living in one of the rooms over at the Club, a Miss Bijou, she does not mingle much with the rest of the ladies in town. When we see her out in the stores she is always very polite and sweet, but I fear she may be lonely living at the club.  She shares the news she gets in the letters from Black John with us, I think she is sweet on him. She moved down from Razorback Ridge.

The Shouses were at their daughters, Newton has recovered greatly form his bout with consumption and they have returned home. We have kept the boarding house open when we could to help them out. Tall John, of course still suffers from the wound to his knee but it has gotten somewhat better. We sent him a special mix of herbs to make a poultice with to place on his knee and a bottle of elixir for Newton. Beth says that Newton feels much better after a dose of the medicine from Foggy Bottom.

We, ladies, have been meeting at Miss Sonijas & Miss Dees when we can; we sew clothing for the men and ourselves. You would think that with the war on, the dress shop would suffer from lack of business, but it is just the opposite. The ladies in town feel so much better with just a new bit of lace for trimming a bonnet or dress. We try to keep up our appearances; war is not an excuse to be lacking in our appearance. Even though we have not seen that much of Mr. Eugene Johnson this past year, he has made sure to send supplies to us. Miss Elizabeth makes sure that along with the food and other necessary supplies that we get a bolt of cloth and some trimmings each month. It is not unusual to see a dress and a mans shirt made out of the same cloth, here in Foggy Bottom.

Cousin Jennifer Wetherell, remember she is my mothers cousins oldest daughter, 2^nd cousins we are, and the children have moved into to town and are living with me. After little Nathan was born it was much too hard for her out on the farm. She sold it to the Youngs and deposited the funds in the bank.  Although he is from a good family and all, Stoney was always a touched. I have heard that he suffered a blow to the head as a youth.  Mr. Piazza writes that at times Stoney thinks he is riding with Colonel Mosbey and his raiders. The men all humor him and dont tell him different and after while it passes and he knows he is with the 5^th. 

Stephanie and Matthew Wright are doing well. They have moved in with me also, as Stephanie could make more money renting her rooms above the store out to travelers. We have a great many people pass through trying to avoid the Federal troops that are on the move. They are all looking for one or two night lodging, so we have to find rooms for all these people. The store is busy trying to supply everyone; goods are scarce even with Mr. Johnsons help. We still have our emergency supply hidden and it will remain hidden until we need it. I fear that Matthew will try to join his father soon. He is now 13 and is growing like a weed; he is now a young man and hears only the stories of honor and great deeds of war, not the terrible wounds and deaths that our men suffer. For now we need his help here; he is the man of the house and we depend on him. So, my house is full, what with the children coming and going.

Mrs. Barton has been teaching at the Foggy Bottom Girls academy this year. Some families are still able to send their daughters and several young ladies here in town are attending, Miss Paige, Miss Hailey and Miss KK to name a few. Miss KK and young Joe are still sweet on each other. They are such a lovely young couple. KK has been working at the Shouses Boarding House serving meals to the travelers that are staying there. Miss Kellie sends word that Kami has settled in at a boarding house in Richmond and writes that she enjoys working for the Confederate treasury and that her job is to hand sign notes for the treasury. Kami writes that many young ladies answered the call to assist the treasury and she feels that she is contributing to the Southern cause. Course Miss Kellie worries about her being in a large city by herself, so far from home. This war is hard on families, not only are our sons far from home but now our daughters are leaving.

Miss Rhonda lost her friend Miss Biscuit. Miss Biscuit was a loyal and true friend and will be sorely missed. Frank the hired hand was with Benny but he sent him home to tend to the corn crop so that the elixir could be made this fall. Miss Lange brought a letter out to the Burdine Farm for Frank. Miss Rhonda had to read it to Frank,  see in as he does not read to well, she told us at the church meeting that Frank has a wife , Francine and two children, Flora and Fred. They hope to join Frank here is Foggy Bottom soon.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19th July, 1863        

Greetings Cousins,

I have news to share. Here in Foggy Bottom; a company of ladies has been organized for some time under the name of "The F. B. Home Guard" numbering over 25.  We have been constantly exercising on horseback and on foot with pistol, shot gun and rifle, and have attained such perfection that we doubt if there is a better drilled company in the country. Each Lady is almost a Daniel Boone with her rifle and an Amazon in her equestrian skill. 

Why, Mrs. Newtonwhile shooting at a cross mark, one hundred  yards distant, with a rifle, struck the centre five times and  broke it three times out of eight shots fired in succession.   If any man can beat this, I should like to see it done. 

Our little group grew out of a discussion we women all had at our church group. Several ladies were worried about the safety of the town and the children since the men for most part were all off to war; well a few of  us decided that we were not going to be at the mercy of those Yankee dogs and we decided we would form our own home guard and so we did. 

Several of the ladies having been raised on farms and some still living on farms were familiar with firearms, like Miss Connie, Miss Elizabeth and I and we were more than willing to teach the others. So each Sunday after church we have been practicing.  It was quite a sight to see Mrs. Newton sitting in her rocker, gun to her shoulder shooting with the most expert skill!

And some of the ladies are excellent horsewomen!  Miss Dee, Miss Sonjia and Miss Rhonda come to mind.  I will tell you more about our brave little group in my next letter. But, rest assured that while our menfolk may be off to war protecting our country we are here at home protecting the hearths of each and every family in Foggy Bottom.

May God keep you and yours safe.

Your loving cousin

Miss Kim

__________________________________________________________________________

19th, August, 1863

Dear Cousins,
   
    Word has come from the East that our boys have engaged the Yanks. Poor Miss Francine and children were caught in the middle of a terribly bloody battle and had to seek refuge with a local family that were kind enough to take them in. Miss Francine writes that poor dear Fred and Flora were calling  for their "Paw" Frank during the battle. Francine writes that they lost a wheel off of their wagon in the rush and it may take awhile to get a replacement, it now may be October before she and the children reach Foggy Bottom.
   
    We will need to lend Frank a hand in getting his cabin on the Burdine farm ready for his family. I will send word as I receive it from Francine. I have seen a picture of her and she has an abundant amount of hair, and from her letters seems to be very nice.
   
    Your loving cousin,
    Miss Kim

________________________________________________________________________________________________