Losing the Way

This letter continues the path with James Davis and Susanna Dunlap Porter. The previous post contained a letter written pre-Civil War by James. After the war in which he participated with full-force and heart, he went back to his law practice and public service that usually kept him away from home for long periods.
On lost friends and causes, he had this to say to his wife:

Nashville

Jan. 21st, 1870

To Mrs. Jas. D. Porter, Jr.

Paris, Tenn.

"Dear Sue:
I have just received your letter of the 17th inst; all you say of the children is very pleasing to me I assure you, and creates a very great anxiety to see them as well as yourself. My baby boy must be a progressive specimen of young America, and I would be very happy indeed if I could see the little fellow today.
I dined on yesterday in company with a dozen ex-Confederation friends, members of the Convention, at the house of my friend, Alex Porter. It was the first time I have been out since I have been here, and I am sorry that I was too unwell to do justice to the elegant feast prepared for us; it was a reunion of army friends who had been in the 'imminent deadly breach' together and who had seen the flag of our hopes and lore go down in defeat. Often we had carried it bravely through four years of war and mainly strife. This meeting around the festive board was a happy one, and a sad one too. When an incident of our soldier’s life would be related, either of … and pride, or of bold enterprise, the memory of some fellow comrade would come upon us, only to remind us of the sad and unwelcome truth that the places of loved and lost friends are vacant forever. I have not seen such an elegant entertainment for many years or such an enjoyable one.
I have nothing special to write. I hope you are all well and happy, and with much love and kisses for all, believe me"
Faithfully yours,
Jas. D. Porter, Jr.

I find his formality of closure humorous and yet, probably indicative of the formality of the day.  I hope their time together (and apparently they had time together as evidenced by the continuing line of children) was less formal. He called her Sue. Wonder if she called him "James D. Porter, Jr.".  On paper, at least, there seemed an air of distance, and that was when he only traveled to Nashville. Later, Chile.

To be continued...