Augusta: Robert B. Spillman to Amanda C. Armentrout,
October 15, 1865
Summary:
Robert writes to Kate of his devoted friendship to her, his desire to maintain
regular correspondence and his plans never to marry until he can properly
support a wife.
Oct 15th 1865
Fredericksburg Va
My dear Sister Kate
Your very kind long looked for & ever welcome letter of the 11th just reached me safely about 8 o'clock last night. I was truly delighted to hear from you. I felt
exceedingly anxious about you when I wrote to you in September I was by no means
sure that my letter would ever reach you. Consequently I labored under many fears
& doubts as to whether I should ever hear from [added: you] again or not & to be deprived of a
correspondence with so dear a friend as I claim you to be would be truly hard to
bear with. Ah! my dear Kate I am sure you can form no idea how much I missed the
pleasures of your dear sweet letters during our long silence. I was truly
deprived of a pleasure beyond the comprehension of many but now that our
correspondence has commenced again I feel perfectly delightful I hope that
nothing may happen to
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prevent a regular correspondence as long as we
continue to be such devoted friends. I am satisfied that marriage on my part
will never make me forget my dear sweet sister Kate as for my dear little friend
Lou she is well aware that you & I are devoted friends &
correspondents & I know her well enough to be perfectly satisfied that
one of her kind & gentle nature will, or does highly appreciate your
true & unselfish friendship for sure, but as for marrying, indeed my
friend that is something that I certainly don't expect
to do soon my present situation will not admit of any thing of the sort. Were I to get married now I don't
think that I would be doing any lady justice in consequece of my embarrassed
situation in life. I [added: am] fully determined
never to marry any one until I feel capable of placeing the object of my
affections in a parallel condition to her present one
or better it if possible. Therefore I fear it will be a long long time before I can realize any thing of the kind. Well enough
on that subject
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I am truly glad to hear that your dear brother
& friend Willis are safe at home after the great fall of our poor old
Confederacy. It is truly a great blessing that they were
spared to return to their homes & loved ones. I assure you that I have
really enoyed peace & quietude since the close of the war not
withstanding that it did not end in accordance with my desire & at first
I was truly thunderstruck, but when I considered that the grief of one could not
possibly do any good I concluded I would try to enjoy peace & the sweets
of home once more & try to thank God that it was no worse & that
a few of us were spared to tell the tale. You see from the steading of my letter
that I have left old Westmoreland for a season
& am at this time staying at this place where I expect to be for several
weeks. Will try to keep you posted as to when I shall
remove from here so that your letters may always be properly directed so they
may reach me safely. You must write to me as often as you
can your letters are such a great comfort & satisfaction to me.
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You must remember me kindly to your Pa & Ma & sisters
& all enquiring friends if there be any, but of course I don't expect there are any from the fact that I have no
acquaintances in that section of the County. With much love for your dear self
believe dear Kate to be as ever
your ever affectionate & truly devoted brother
Robert
write soon & direct to Fredericksburg Va
yours R.
Oct 23d This letter was written the 15th but not
mailed until til today. No
changes have taken place I am well & truly hope this may reach you
& find you the same
my love to all,
yours fondly Robt
