Augusta County: James B. McCutchan to His Cousin,
August 30, 1860
Summary:
James B. McCutchan writes to his cousin of general news from home in Augusta
County, mentioning people he has seen and talked to. He asks his cousin if they
may establish a regular correspondence.
August 30 1860
Forest Home
Dear Cousin
It is with no small degree of pleasure that I attempt to address you for a few lines, (without even having asked your permission) I fully intended to have asked you to correspond with me, before you left Augusta, but still neglected it, more from the fact that I feared you would not agree to do it than anything else. I hope you will not be offended at this and if so that you will pardon me. I have not much news to [unclear: report] but will try and do the [unclear: best] I can. I had the misfortune to have my leg cut yesterday [illeg.] am not able to do much, but I think it will be well in a few days as it is not a very dangerous wound.
[page 2]
I saw your Georgie at Shemariah last Sunday he is quite hearty but looks rather lowspirited since you left
Augusta. He went home with Mary Jane from church so you had better watch or you
will be cut out I suppose you hear from him often so I need not write about him.
I wish you had been down here to have gone to the
Spring's this summer. I know you would have enjoyed yourself very much. The
Suthern Guards (that is the company I belong to) were over there [unclear: on a
2] we went over on Wednesday and came home Saturday evening. There were a good many of the Summerdean girls over on
Friday. I enjoyed myself [illeg.] much especially on Friday. [illeg.] wish you had been along you would
have been pleased and I know Billy Clemmer would have enjoyed himself a great
deal better than he did.
[page 3]
Friday night. This is something I rarely do leave a letter unfinished
but it happened that I had no time to finish yesterday I will try and get
through this time. I saw a letter of your a few weeks ago from your old admirer
[unclear: Maddson]
[unclear: Kerr] I would like to have heard the contents of that long [unclear: locked] for letter as I
suppose I gues it was very charming and interesting to you. I hope that if I
ever have the pleasing task of reading an answer to this letter that you will
give me the particulars. You had better come back to Augusta and go to school to
Cousin Ann. I believe her school about made up I do not know exactly when she
will commence but I expect [unclear: it] will be sometime next week.
I believe all your schoolmates are well with the exception of
[page 4]
Willy
McChesney I understood this evening that he was quite
poorly did not expect he would live but I do hope he is not so bad as that, he
has sore throat.
There in Sacrament at Shemeriah this week Mr Emerson has Reverend John [unclear: Baker] to assit him he preached to day. I believe I have written about all the news I can think of. The folks are all pretty well in the neighborhood I believe.
Excuse bad writing spelling etc. If this scroll is worthy of an answer I would be happy to receive it But if it is not worth an answer or if you do not want to write to me you can either return this letter or burn it. Silence gives consent. Good by.
From you Affectionate Cous
Ja's B. McCutchan
