“Dear Brother,

          … The excitement here in regard to the President’s death has been immense men forgot their business their families, all in contemplating the great tragedy. Fearfully excited they looked for revenge and the immediate agents in the Assassination not being at hand they turned their attention to men here who dared rejoice over his death. And there are men here base enough to feel glad at the event. I do not believe in mob law but I do think such men ought not to enjoy liberty. Any person who laughs over the death of Abraham Lincoln is no better in heart than J Wilkes Booth, and is almost as deserving of death as was he. No man with a particle of honor can encourage acts of that nature. Yet I fancy there are men in your vicinity who exult over his death. If so they ought to be reported. They are dangerous men and unfit to live in civilized society. I have no sympathy for men of that kind.

Thomas I hardly feel as though I could write at all. I will take some time when my mind is less confused …”