Auburn February 26^th
My dear Sarah,
I thank you for your very kind
letter and for the interest you take in my health –
Which I am glad to say is much better than
it was at the commencement of winter – It
seemed very pleasant to see your familiar hand
writing once more – & to be assured of your con-
tinued interest in me – I was sorry to hear of
your mother's death – and I know how loveless &
desolate your father's home must seem without
her – & you know dear Sarah how broken our
family circle seems without our dear Aunt.
She was the youngest of a family of ten children
& the last to leave us – How terrible the separa-
tion would seem were not sure of a reunion
hereafter – I am glad our dear Fanny wrote
to you from Washington – I wish you could see
her at 18 – Tall and attractive in person, she
has the simplicity of a child – Her father is
very glad to have her with him & she is de-

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are enjoying the conviction that
they are free – Last week an
act passed both Houses of Congress incorporating
an association to build an asylum for desti-
tute women & children of color.” Here I am
at the very last of my paper without saying

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half I want to – I will write again in the

lighted to be with him – Fanny has been
much in society this winter & has enjoyed it
exceedingly – Which surprised her mother &
myself not a little – She has always been so
shrinking that we supposed she would never
relish the whirl & excitement of fashionable
life – I was in Washington three weeks &
spent all the time I was well enough to go out
in visiting hospitals and seeing everything
I could, in connection with the war. Of
course I saw much to pain – for "war" as Win-
throp says "wounds us all a little" – but I was
more encouraged by the patriotism, the
self denial & earnestness of the few than
I was discouraged by the selfishness, cruelty
& dishonesty of the many – for who has ever
seen any cause with all of adherents
or even a majority of them – good & pure –
Among all I saw I saw no man I admired
more than Gen. Butler – he is wonderful
for his sagacity, energy & unshrinking
courage – He has done a work at N. Orleans
which no other ^man^ in the U. States could ^have^ accomplished

and I would to day be willing to have
all our army under his control not fearing
but he would, either with sword or pen –
or both – work out the great problem of
universal Freedom – I wish you could see
him – his very presence gives you confidence
in his powers – It was a great mistake to
remove him & I think Every one is now con-
vinced it was – I am sorry he declines
the same position a second time – You speak
of the colored race – I wish those people
who think they cannot take care of them-
selves would read the reports I do – Of Gen
Saxtons & Gen Higgenson testimony of
their bravery fidelity & temperance as
soldiers – of Mrs Gage who is at Beaufort
teaching them – who says they are in every
respect more honest, intelligent & religious
than the same class of whites – of Burnside
& Mitchell who have both said that they
held all the coast of South Carolina (which
we took) entirely through the vigilence
& bravery of the blacks – And lastly the

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My daughter

x

Frances Chesebro

Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24

and her boy

x

Francis Chesebro

Birth: 1854-02-13 Death: 1931-05-23

are with me now
she is well & desires to be kindly remembered to you

report of the Secretary of the Treasury – Who
informs us they have a surplus fund of $500,000
of their own earnings often deducting their
support & the support of many lazy whites
therefrom – but such persons read
nothing & will not hear what others say
who are informed – I am glad the good
people of Macedon are sending aid to the
Freedmen – a great deal is being done everywhere
by noble men & women – a great deal more
must be done – In Washington the “contrabands
camp” is a place of great interest – many
of the most influential & cultivated men
& women in the city are actively engaged
in doing good there – it is in charge of a
committee of intelligent gentlemen who ap-
point a superintendent & matron – respon-
sible persons – to take charge of it – The men
are employed by government – as teamsters –
(I saw a train of 54 six horse army wagons pass-
ing through the avenue – all driven by men
who were chattles a year ago) as laborers in
the navy yard or in private families – the
women who are able bodied are employed
as laundresses & cooks – the children & in-
firm adults are well taken care of & all

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course of a few weeks & in the meantime believe me
yours
very
sincerely
L M Worden

Miss Sarah D. Hance
Macedon Centre
N. York
AUBURN N.Y
FEB 28 1863