Letter to Mary Gunn

Scope and content:

Written from Lexington, Virginia. Topics include the murder of VMI cadet Thomas Blackburn by Charles B. Christian, a local law student.

Language:

English

Other descriptive data:

Dear Molly,
I have received your letter this very day and am determined for once to toe the mark. I have just seated myself and if I don't get to tired I intend to give you and Sue a piece of my mind even if it be a very small broken piece.

1stly I am still pedagoguing and I tell you it goes mightily against the grain such a day as today for it is one of the pleasantest days I ever knew. The thermometer at noon was nearly up to summer heat at noon and I had no fire in the schoolhouse. My school consists of about forty scholars most of them large boys some of them taller than I am. I have enjoyed myself first rate so far especially in bad weather but when it is fine I intend to do the best I can but I long to be out aboard of the old pump wagon scouring the country. It gives a person a chance to see the world and though it may make me wild now when I come to settle down, I shall put on as long a face as I deacon.

2ndly. Ol. (though I had ought to have put him first) is now in Randolph County which is about one hundred and fifty miles west or northwest from here. He has been gone now about three weeks and I do not much expect him back before the middle or last of March. It is a great region there for pumps. I intend to go there as soon as my school is out and shall probably be there off and on the greater part of the summer.

The people around here are getting up to murdering. Last August in Staunton a man was found dead in his bed with his head staved in with a hammer. In December they hung a man for it and he died protesting his innocence; day after tomorrow they are to hang another man as his accomplice who as yet declares himself innocent.

They were both convicted by another man who turned states evidence; and it is now the general opinion that he did the deed himself.

Two weeks last Sunday was noted in Lexington for a tragedy worse than that. It seems that a young man by the name of Christian had engaged the company of a young lady to go to preaching. She was advised not to go with him by a cousin of hers, a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. Christian (who was a law student) found out who it was and prepared himself with weapons and on Sunday night waited till he saw Blackburn the Cadet come into the church with a lady then he stepped up and touched him requesting to say a word to him. He took him out into the street and by his tale demanded of him to retract what he had said upon Blackburn's refusing so to do he let in on him and before any one could interfere had stabbed him in several places and cut his throat from ear to ear with a bowie knife and killed him so dead that he never kicked. Christian then went and delivered himself up to the authorities and it is now the general opinion that he will get clear as the prosecution was so great. You see how nice a sense of humor the southerners have. In law here if our man calls another a liar and he beats him almost to death for it the law does nothing with him for it is considered sufficient provocation.

I reckon you have heard enough about murders if not I could tell you of some half dozen more that have happened in this region during the last six week. I do not expect I will come home this summer. I wish you were here to take my school when it is out. Virge says "do tell her to come down here and I will go back with her when she wants to go". Hess is not at home but will be next Saturday (if I can get time to go after her).

If mother has that carnation rooted if she will send it over to John's he will attend to it and give it to Bob Dunlap before he come home. I bought a cooking stove for Mr. Morrison in NY last August and last week it got here. If you want to come on here you can come with Bob. I know he will take good care of you.

Where is Father going to plant and how is his health? Have you had much cold weather this winter? Give my best love to Father and Mother and Sam and tell Sam I want to hear from him before long.

I shall write to Jen as often as you write to me whilst I am teaching school but farther than that I can't answer for. Ol was down to Bransons during Christmas they were all well.

Give me love to Louis if you are still up there. My candle is out. Write soon and give me all your news.
Your brother
Giles Gunn

PS Virge says tell him I am wearing carpet as strong as a horse
(Don't you believe that-Virge)

Subjects:

Murder—Virginia—Lexington
Correspondence

Names:

Blackburn, Thomas, 1834-1854
Christian, Charles B. (Charles Burks)
Blackburn, Thomas, 1834-1854
Christian, Charles B. (Charles Burks)

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