Louis Weichmann

[Susan Higginbotham]

St Charles College
March 29, 1865

Dear Friend,

Your last letter relieved me from great anxiety, for I was not sure to have guessed well. Why do you not speak more fully? Again in the letter I have just had the honor of receiving from you, you speak in a obscure way of Mr. Surratt, as if he were a rebel; could you not have said openly what is the perilous trip point which he is soon to depart? What is that last? What is the meaning of that restrictive? Between us there should be no secret. For speaking of little Dalton, you speak of his condition as being truly deplorable, in what sense? Is it in the personal welfare, or in the spiritual? Or in both? His brother at Charlotte Hall cannot do much at present for his support; but I hope he will soon be ordained, and will not, when ordained, forget the only relation he has upon earth. I have not the wisdom of Solomon to guess his role, my faculty of understanding is rather bland than sharp; therefore if you wish me to comprehend your reticence's, you must provide me, if you can, with quite sharper visions.

As to the conditions which, you say, Mr. Dubruel joined to your admission, I think there is no need for you to be uneasy, for next September Richmond will be able to communicate with Baltimore, and therefore your Bishop will arrange the matter himself with the auspices of Baltimore.

The draft has not yet taken place at Ellicott Mills, and consequently I know not yet what will become of me. In case I am drafted, I will have recourse to your influence with the Government to obtain my exemption.

As you go next year to Philosophy, you will be pleased to hear who are those who will be with you or who may be with you in the same class. They are now in my first Latin Class; their names are J. Duffey, Galvin, McPaul, Moran, Morris, Mullin, Noonan, W. O'Brien, O'Connor, besides those others who you do not know; I do not mention Shoffey, who has left us some weeks ago on account of headache, and by neuralgia. Nor do I speak of Clarke. Dear Clarke lost his mother last year, and finds himself quite destitute, perhaps as mostly of pity as Dalton. He was working on a farm lately in the neighborhood of St. Charles, but with his incapacity and unfitness for such a work and the fear of being drafted made him fly lately. I do not know where.

You recommend me to pray for you in one of my masses. I have already told you that I pray for you in every one; it is not for the sake of making a compliment or filling up a letter I mentioned it; it is the truth. You may unite your intentions to mine at five o'clock and twenty-five minutes, it is then I present your needs to Almighty God.

My best regards to Mr. Surratt, if he is not gone already on his trip. Our College will be in jubilee this week, and we all hope to gain the grace of it next Saturday.

Your Most Devoted Friend in J.C.

J. B. Menu

(From The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence, ed. by Edwards and Steers)