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[[underline]]1865[[/underline]]
[[underline]]Jan[[/underline]]

commands the entrance to the Cape Fear river.
20th Hav[[strikethrough]]ing[[/strikethrough]] been making calls all day The city greatly excited by the report that Mr. Blair has gone on a second expedition to the South The result of his first visit from which he has only just returned is doubtful but it is generally believed that Pres. Davis constened to negociate peace if the Prest would receive his commissioners. Whether we are deceived by another fake hope our hearts beats more quickly with the thorugh that the beginning of the end of this terrible war approacheth.
We find an entirely new set of faces have taken the place of our old acquaintances since our retirement.
Wilmington [[it?]] is said has fallen into our hannds. [[end page]]
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[[underline]]1865[[/underline]]
[[underline]]Jan[[/underline]]
25th I record in my journal ^[[to night]] one of the momentous and saddest events of lives. The burning of a large portion of the Inst. The fire originated in the [[insersion?]] of the pipe of a stove which had been put up in the picture gallery into an air chamber in the wall instead of a flue. The man in charge had been told to be particularly careful and Father had inquired of several times if he was sure all was safe. The fire must have been smoldering several days but did not break out until yesterday shortly after three o'clock. I was sitting reading in the Library reading and surprised at the sudden darkning of the room went to the window and finding a thick cloud of smoke or mist obscuring the view I hastened from the room to discover the cause One of the gentlemen from the Inst. met me saying "the building is in flames you have but five minutes to save your property. We immediately went to work packing books &c. first clothing and then Father's Library. The house was soon filled