Anna Stephens letter to Thomas Rotch, Skidaway Island, Feb 5 1823

               
  B-183-1            
                         Skidaway Island Feb 5 1823
             I have just Received thy letter my Dear
  Uncle, & the attempt to express to thee, how much
  pleasure it afforded me would(I feel) be in
  vain, the assurance it contained that I am still
  remember'd by one whom I have always loved
  from my childhood is a source of great gratifi
  cation to me, I have often spoken, & oftener thoughts
  of thee & Aunt since my Residence here, I had
  heard of Aunt's illness last summer, & thot she
  was much reduced in flesh; but I know nothing
  of thy sickness, indeed as Joanna is my only
  correspondent in my own family, I hear but
  few particulars, I was last summer at New York
  but say but few of my friends as the Fever had
  distributed them in every direction. the alarm &
  confusion were dreadfull & my visit, consequently
  was very unsatisfactory, I found my Joanna very
  much improv'd she often spoke of thee, & my
  impression was that she had written to thee;
  but perhaps her letter to thee, shared the same
  fate as many of hers has to me, she gives them to
  her grand father Hone to direct, & he puts them in his