Letter from William Hardy to his wife, Sallie Hardy; 06 May 1862

              Gordonsville, Virginia 
May 6th, 1862

My Dear Sallie,

Enclosed I send you a nice collar, a present from Miss Eddie Jones, one of the nice young ladies here where I board. It is to be prized the more highly because it is the work of her own delicate hands. The young ladies, three in number, call in to see me two or three times a day, doing everything in their power to make me comfortable and contented, and on their visit yesterday evening, Miss Eddie brought in this collar to show me, remarking that "that was her day's work." I admired it very much. She asked me if you would wear it if she were to send it to you. I told her with the greatest pleasure, upon which she requested me to send it to you saying that it was from a "Rebel Country Girl of Virginia." So I send it and suggest that you call it "The Rebel Virginian." 

She says since the "Rebellion" broke out, they can't purchase such things, and she has from sheer necessity learned to make them herself, which is a noble example worthy of emulation.

I am not so well today as yesterday, having had a slight return of my disease last night, though by prudence I think I will soon be all O.K.