Letter from William Hardy to Sallie Johnson; 18 June 1860

              Raleigh Miss
June 18th 1860
Dear Miss Sallie:
	I received yours of the 11th inst on the 15th, and it is impossible for me to account for its tardiness – I cannot tell by what strange circuitous route it goes to require 4, or 6 days to reach here a distance of thirty five miles, but nevertheless it is so, and I presume cannot be remedied.
	I have concluded that since a letter to you from Raleigh becomes so notorious and of so much importance as to have to pass through “several hands” before reaching you – or in other words – since it has to pass through a self-constituted “detective” I will not mail this at Raleigh but send it from Trenton, and hope you will not be annoyed by the menial-like curiosity of the knowing Brandonians. I think the Republican and Herald would add greatly to their circulation, in Brandon, at least, if they would notice the very important fact that – “Miss Sallie Johnson rec’d by yesterday’s mail a letter from Raleigh Smith County, supposed to be from one W.H. Hardy residing there. It is to be hoped that the ‘green spectacle committee’ will investigate the matter and report at the earliest convenience for the benefit of the Town”