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a timid anxious look [[strikethrough]][[?]] [[strikethrough]] as if the comfort & security of her old Virginia house was illy paid for by her long coveted liberty. ---- We have passed the day very quietly All the bells in the city rang out a merry peal at noon & again at sundown. but with the exception of a few rockets there have been no fireworks. Father amused us at the breakfast table by telling us that for sixteen years ^he suffered from cold in a certain part of his [[northern?]] limbs in consequence of both drawers & shorts being ^rather short but one happy day the bright thought struck him that by lengthening the former the difficulty might be obviated. could a philosopher with his thoughts in [[Heaven?]] attend to any thing so [[sub__?]] as the calves of his legs. Father says I must insert this in his memoir if I can write it I jot it down in my journal instead Mother says I shall not, as is a reflection upon her.

Mother is writing to Mrs. Bell to night She has spent many a pleasant Fourth with us we have missed her to day. Father says Mother should not monopolize the paper & [[pens?]] & has ^[[strikethrough]] [[??]] [[strikethrough]] scribbled a letter to his ^"old wife" which she will not let me read. He has seized it & torn it up much to Mother's vexation. He looks more like a mischievous school boy just now
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than a philosopher. There is very little news from the war quarter to night. Gen. McClellan is now on the James River about 15 or 20 miles from Richmond His force is by no means sufficient. The Count de Paris Duke de Chartres & the Prince de Joinville have arrived with dispatches. They have endeared themselves to their comrades by their affability. Capt. Farragut has passed Vicksburg & is now in communication with Davis & Gen. Halleck so the whole river is open. The Intelligencer contains a letter from Gen Hunter saying he considered himself authorized in organizing his negro regiment by the orders given to his predecessor Gen. Sherman. that all [[underlined]] loyal persons were to be employed [[for?]] the[[strikethrough]] ir [[strikethrough]] Government as he should see fit. No mention being made of the color of the person. Mrs. Hunter does not approve of the proceedings of her husband. 

July 5th.    A visit from Mr. & Mrs. Bates. Father & Casey have gone to escort them home. Mr. Egleston has been here to tell us about Dr. Hay's hospital He has charge of the one in Georgetown 100 came to him to day he has room for 100 more. Epiphany church is full. We are to go up to the observatory on Monday evening to make bandages.

The flank movement of Gen McClellan in the face of the enemy is spoken of as a 
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