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Chicago Tuesday October 31st 1871
758 Wabash Av

I will leave unfinished the description of that night of horror feeling confident that it will remain so vividly and indelibly stamped upon my memory that I can at some day not far hence when the mood suits the moment take up my pen and write a full description of my impressions and actions on that the most important night in the history of Chicago. Dr. Jones a most agreeable and polite gentleman opened his doors to us and he being alone and not averse to making arrangements [[vital?]] to our remaining here this [[month?]] they have been consummated. The first night we (Mother and I) spent at the Stewarts where Mother was dispatched before the break of that Monday after watching the House slowly smolder down and seeing from my position among the surges of that miserable humanity heaped upon the narrow strip of land bordering the lake I took up my course 

for up town and with my face plastered with the dirt and soot which made the atmosphere dense I picked my way among piles of furniture of every conceivable style and form en route I came up to Father one of the last things he had taken from the House was my camp chair and there he was sitting in the yard of an acquaintance on Wabash avenue he held a keg of oysters on his knees, which had been presented to him and was cheerfully talking with a circle of gentlemen. Although in miserable health Father kept up splendidly that day we trudged on together through the eddying masses of terror stricken and impovished people - a stern look of determination was observable on the faces of many while a few wore that expression of apparent cheerfulness which showed that they could not yet appreciate the immensity of the disaster. Again and not unfrequently I am pained to state the hellish sway of