Beauvoir, Mississippi
26th Dec 1886,
Col. Walter H. Taylor,
My dear Sir,
Your kind letter of the 20th Inst with that of Mr Thomas was duly received. It gave me great pleasure to hear from you and to see your handwriting revives many memories of a time which was full of sad incidents, but further still of purposes and acts which we can look back upon with clear conscience and of which, I hope posterity will be proud.
I enclose a letter to Mr Thomas which I would thank you to have delivered, and in it refer to the Smithfield hams which you may remember you kindly, as in this instance, forwarded.
With best wishes for you and yours, in which terms is included your good Brother and his family I am as ever
Very truly your friend
Jefferson Davis
Dear Col. Taylor,
Accept from me for you and your household affectionate wishes for the prosperity and happiness of each of you for the coming year and assurances of the friendship of
Yours sincerely
Varina Davis
Source: The Archives of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Papers of the Lee Family, Box 8, M2009.436
Transcribed by Caitlin Connelly, 2016 July 21
