[Letter from Andrew D. Campbell to Elizabeth Upshur Teackle, October 11, 1812]

Wemyss Bay the 11^th October 1812

What have you been about my ever dear friend that you have not written to me for an age and what have you been doing? I hear you say that you should so long have neglected your Virginia friends? Away with apologies and complaints. I wrote this as a peace offering and as a kind of Ardent Cousin to say this silence must not exist any longer and it shall not be my fault if I do not persuade you again to open to me your kind warm heart and tell me all that is interesting of yourself, your worthy husband and your dear daughter.

I had expected to have got a deal of information concerning all of you from my friend Grey, who it seems, however, did not value this and the strict injunctions which I laid upon him, pay you a Visit. Business that came of happiness led him else where and he is now fixed in Halifax, which if I mistake not, is a very different residence from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The last intelligences I had the

the pleasure of receiving concerning you was your letter to my dear [Prisse or Rose] who has gone to Church, while I write a few lines to you. She will soon write again to you, but says what I believe is true, that correspondence betwixt two people who never saw each other is not easily conducted however warmly intended they are in each others welfare. She sends her best regards to you and hopes you are yet to make patience of your good intentions of paying a visit here. But you do not appear to move much about your own Country excepting your occasional visits to Eyre Hall where I hope your sister and all the other inhabitants are as well as I wish them.

We, not having the cares of a family, make a variety of visits and last week we were a good deal in Edinburgh with my Brother and Sisters and in the Country with Col^o Dunlops family. In the early part of this delightful summer, we went to England and passed some time upon the Lakes. For the last 3 months

we have been living here from whence I daresay, I have dated letters, many years ago.

It is a delightful Sea Bathing quarter and formerly belonged to my Uncle, Mr. Muirhead. He sold and we now rent it ready furnished and enjoy it much. We have thus been only a few months in our own home in Glasgow, but intend returning soon and wintering there.

Littleton is lazy. I wrote him at least once or twice since writing to you, and have not a line from him in for a long time. This is an old fault of his, but I will forgive him if he will lay his command upon you to write to me, and I hope my dear Mrs. Teackle will not consider them as very oppressive. I suppose he is much engaged in business and I hope the restrictive laws passed respecting American Intercourse with British West Indies Islands, do not interfere with his arrangements.

Here every thing goes on in the most flourishing way imaginable, if it will but last, which however, is hardly practicable.

In the mean time, I am very

deeply engaged in it, but live in hopes that I may some future day be enabled to give it up.

And what is your dear little Eliza doing? Thinking now of getting married? I suppose as all your Virginia Ladies do very early in life. God give her a good husband and may much happiness be her portion. I am sure she will richly deserve it and desire your giving her my kindest and most affectionate regards. Pray also accept the former to yourself and do hurry off a few lines such as this, just to tell me that you are well and that you are happy, and that I still live in your remembrance and in your heart as warmly as you always have done, and will continue to do in mine while it continues to beat. God bless you again and again.

Ever affectionately yours

A.D. Campbell