University of VA
Jan 10th 1866
Dear Taylor
I want to bother you with a small bother of mine. I got some furniture some time in November (about 13th) in Baltimore. This was forwarded by what is called the New Line Baltimore, Norfolk & Richmond Steamers office Foot of Gay Street, Spear Wharf Baltimore. Of this furniture there are two boxes or packages missing. One containing the marble slabs & the other the mirror of a Bureau. These steamers tranship in Norfolk & these boxes never reached Richmond. I can get no satisfaction whatever from the egents in Richmond or Baltimore. It is very probable the goods are in Norfolk in the office of the Line. Please make inquiries for me concerning it. I have the receipts bill of lading & all which I will place in a lawyer’s hands in Baltimore. The agents of the line in Richmond are PH Butler & Co. What are you doing? Is Capt Rob married yet? Your young friend Turnstall is a fine fellow & doing well here. I am about as usual with an old coat pocket stuffed with unanswered letters. By the bye I have not yet sent this Tycoon that estimate of our numbers. They are all xs and y’s now. I never have thanked you & Sharp for “doing” Mr Tabb in my behalf. His vote was a great thing for me. I suppose Rob tells you all about Marshall. If you or I were to write a private history of this war Taylor ‘so called’ I fear we would be called out. But it is all xs & ys after all. When our guard Gen. Heth publishes a letter of recommendation from Maj. Gen John Pope, I expected to get one from old Beast Butler. So called.
Yours very truly
Chas S Venable
WH Taylor Esqr
Source: The Archives of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Papers of the Lee Family, Box 8, M2009.340
Transcribed by Caitlin Connelly, 2016 July 13
