e W Auburn April 18^th –
My dear Augustus,
I have this morning received
two letters from you one dated the 4^th the other
the 21^st of March – I am on the eve of
departure for the South with your Father
and Fanny – Your father will go as far as
Charlestown where he has some business which
will detain him three or four days – I
do not wish to go further than Washington
where or at Baltimore I will if your father
will consent await his return – Since Fanny
had the scarlet fever she has not been well
and I am not willing to leave her at home –
I am not well myself but hope my journey
may make me better – I have suffered
much of late with neuralgia in my
head face and chest – I was a little
disappointed that your letters said nothing
about coming home – I know you will
not willingly disappoint me in the visit
this Summer – Grandpa suggests that you
may be going to Santa Fe – this I do not
believe – Fred will be at home a
week longer

Aunty and Frances came last night from
New York – Frances says she is
quite well she looks much better
than she has done in two years –
They will go on tomorrow to GC Canandaigua
we go in the morning – they in the
afternoon – Fred wishes very much to
keep cousin Frances here until he leaves –
I will write but a short letter now
and write again on our journey –
The weather is the most unpropitious imaginable
it is snowing fast – has been very cold
for a week past – the frost has killed
all the early flowers in the garden –
Grandpa has a bad cold but is not
confined to the house – Aunt Clara is
here she sends much love –
We were all much shocked last week
to hear the death of Col Richardson –
He died with varioloid after an illness
of four days – George and De Witt are
both on their way to California –
Col. Richardson took the disease by putting
a woman in a coffin who had died
with smallpox – there have been a
number of cases here recently – some
others fatal – Willie is well – he
goes home with Aunty – Clarence is well –

Frances says she will write a few lines
to send with this – May God bless you
my dear child – your affectionate
Mother

Lieutenant A. H. Seward
5^th Infantry U. S. Army
Fort Towson
Choctaw Nation
Arkansas
AUBURN N.Y.
APR 20