Transcript:
Fort Clarence Rochester Kent
May 4th 1865
My dear Julia
Although I have written so very lately to you, yet still I feel I must send a few lines to express our deep sympathy with you all at the sad event which has plunged your country into mourning! The deed was atrocious, + astonishing and certainly doubly afflicting from its arriving just as Victory was crowning Mr. Lincolns four years of no doubt arduous toil and trouble. Oh! It is sad very sad to think of his coming to such a fearful end. The papers will tell you all England is mourning with you, and most sincerely. I never remember in my life a greater sensation everywhere when the awful news was announced. Even in this place, you saw persons, of all ranks, grouped together, talking with grief + horror, deposited in their faces. And many at full would not credit the news. Poor Mrs. Lincoln how she is to be pitied. Such a fearful blow, will be one indeed very hard for her to get over unless she knows the power of true religion and with whom to lay her sad brothers of sorrow + woe!
All here hope and trust your present President will follow in the steps of his late master and do well for his country but he never will be our Abraham Lincoln!!
I send you one of our penny papers, the “Chatham news,” to show you from the leading articles the feeling in this neighborhood to the awful tragedy.
Thanks dear Julia for the papers you sent me. They were most acceptable + have been and read and reread by us and lent to some of our friends who were most [anxious?] to see them. I found out many well remembered names of [illeg.] I hope yourself + all those near and dear to you are well and all our other relatives-please remember us affectionately to them.
We saw poor Jane Cuthbert the other day. Her spirits are only a very little better. She seems to brood over her deep affliction too much and not exert herself sufficiently to be entirely resigned to the Will of her Heavenly Father who never afflicts but for some wise purpose. I talked to her of poor Mrs. Lincoln’s sad affliction but she seemed to think it was scarcely equal to hers! Poor dear Jane, I am quite sure if she now took more interest in her home duties she would be happy and more resigned. Accept dear Julia a great deal of love for yourself+ all those about you-and believe me-ever yours affectionately
Julia
However Jane Cuthbert desired to be remembered to you all.
Citation: Julia Manners, autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle. Fort Clarence, Rochester; 4 May 1865. Rush IV:31:55