Hot Springs: Letter from John Minor to Alexander Garrett, June 25, 1848

Hot Springs June 25 184[8]
My Dear friend

The day after you left us I was taken down with an attack of my disease in its most painful form and I have not had the energy to write to a single soul since untill to day – This must be my apology for not writing you as soon as I promised – Oh the extreme pain that a man suffers as the [negroes] describe it all over – the deadly sickness at stomach – & the depressing lowness of spirits – until t[he] baths begin to operate upon the [ ] ing of food – sore mouth & the teeth all jumping out of their sockets – so that you can neither eat nor chew Tobacco & all these inconveniences you have to suffer solitary & alone cooped up in a little room 10 feet square – However this is one of the evils that flesh is [ ] to & which we have foolishly & wickedly brought upon ourselves & we ought to be thankful & I hope I am so that God has dealt so mercifully towards us – Oh if our hearts could be thoroughly searched we were justly made amenable for all the sins that have brought these temporary punishments upon us, how inadequate would be this award to this punishment we deserve Our friend Capt Fitzhugh left us a week after you did & for several days our situation was desolate [ ] the [ ] German & his lady having left us some 3 or 4 days before – but fortunately a recruiting party came on & supplied their places & tho I could not enjoy company except at particular times – yet at those times it was very consoling – We have now with us a very respectable Presbyterian Clergeman & his daughter from Pensylvania Henry R. Wilson – I understand that he is the father of the Rev.d Henry Wilson who has been for some time & is now a missionary to India & who has made the first successfull effort of establishing missionary manual labour schools – He is a fine old venerable looking man & I am in hopes we shall now have some preaching on the Sabbath – We have very few visitors here as yet not more than five or six & about twice as many at the White [missing] [unclear] running daily after tomorrow & I hope our company will increase – How is your health since you got home? & how did you find them all? were not all things going on as well without you as if you had been there I am much weaker & more reduced than I ever was before & I dread the periods when the baths will produce a disgorgement of my Liver which I am looking for every day – How did you find & leave them all at Bollings? for I suppose by this time you have got down home again – How is Mr Duke and the Col? Why have you not written to me? are you one of these conscientious fellows that never deign to write a friend unless he first writes to you & then pay him letter for letter? I hope not – my grateful [missing] found Dr Few [missing] me a visit two or three days ago & did me the honour to bring his wife with him as he told me expressly to see me & I don’t know when I have been more gratified she is a very fine little woman & will do him or any other man credit & what is more she is as well adorned in mind as in body – they both insisted on my going up & spending a fortnight or 3 weeks with them Have you seen or heard from Wm or any of the family at Gale Hill lately? I have not received a line from home or from a single friend since I left Albemarle or have you heard any thing from Mary Wardlaw? whether she or any of them think of coming up this summer? – Do write me as soon as you receive this it will not cost you much trouble for if you answer all my Queries it will fill up a letter but let me know all that is passing in the county Remember me most affectionably to Mrs Gar[re]tt – to [missing] Duke – to Bolling & his wife if they are [missing] who do one the kindness to enquire after me & believe me as ever your affectionate friend

Jn, Minor
How is poor Dr Massie?