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Letter from Kate Smith, Memphis, Tennessee, to Julia Smith, May 29, 1865. She writes: "Memphis will not be pleasant now until about Oct. We have had some very oppressive days even now dry hot and dusty with mosquitoes biting and gnats stinging giving us a foretaste of what is to come. Genl Washburn delivered his farewell order today. You dont know how sorry we all are at his leaving. He has proved that it is not necessary to be disloyal to the Government to be kind to the people . . . I am very sorry that Jeff Davis was caught he was a broken and ruined man it is a pity that he had not escaped to Europe. I was more sorry for the South than the North when Lincoln was assassinated So now I think it a misfortune for the Union that Davis was caught . . . . I am afraid the paroled soldiers and negro soldiers will have trouble they and the white Union soldiers get along very well. The negro question is not solved yet. You can have no idea of how full Memphis is of negroes they are stuck all over every where all the negroes nearly of West Tenn and North Miss are huddled in the army lines . . ."

Identifier

sc.0240.001_002.016

Date

1865 May 29

Keywords

Smith, Sarah Catherine Pitser.

Letter: Kate Smith, Memphis, to Julia Smith, 1865

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