Roxana Chapin Gerdine to Emily McKinstry Chapin (1863 March 21)

              A.L. Fragment. March 21 [1863]. [Roxana Chapin Gerdine] to �Dear Sister Emily� [Emily McKinstry Chapin]. 1p.With stamped envelope"
					I send you a return stamp Confederate put both on the postage 						here is ten cents"
								West Point March 21st"
Dear Sister Emily
	I am afraid that my many attempts to correspond with you all at home will prove failures as I have already written you several since hearing from you. I am feeling very low spirited as a few weeks even bring so many changes and it has been now a year and a half since I have heard a word from the north but I will hope for the best. We are all usually well now. Joe is with us and able to ride a little on horseback I think you have heard through the northern journals of the death of my oldest and best friend in Gen. T.R.R. Cobb but it is a sad day to me and I must not commence on a sad theme or I shall be unable to write at all. I wrote you a long letter about a month since and am looking daily for a reply.
	If it is a possible thing and I hear from you that Father is living I shall go north. you need not look for I shall come just when I can get an opportunity to travel wither via Memphis or Richmond now you know there is hardly another lady in the Confederacy that with two children to carry would attempt such a journey as of course Mr. Gerdine could not accompany me: I never should attempt it only to see Father as Mr. Gerdine is terribly opposed to it. Write me all you can on one page but do not allude to military affairs and send me a few stamps as I can not procure any here. tell me if there is much trouble in the money matters there and how Father is getting along. I wrote in my other letter that Cousin Allie Crawford would write you where to direct if you do not know any better way yours as I do to Mrs. Gen. Gerdine. West Point (care Brig Gen Jn. H. Winder commanding Department of Henrico Richmond Va. By Flag of Truce: I expect William however can ascertain for you the proper northern direction: You do not know how much I want to see you all if Father is living and I can possibly get across the line I shall spend the summer with him but our plans are so often frustrated that I am afraid to think much about it. I feel now that I have scarcely any thing to live for but I reckon my life is spared for something