Fannie Ford Letter Regarding the Assassination of President Lincoln

              Western Seminary. Oxford 
May 10th 1866. 
My dear Friend, 
Your letter was recieved 
many weeks since and I did intend to an- 
swer it immediately, but at the commence- 
ment of this new term so many things 
needed to be done that it has [caret mark] been [above caret mark] neglected 
from day to day.  But in these last few weeks 
I have often thought of you in that time of 
glorious victories and wildest joy and especially 
when the country was so suddenly thrown into 
mourning and the Nation into tears.  I can- 
not say any thing new upon the great sorrow 
which we have all felt so deeply.  On that 
charming delightful 14th of April we at the 
Seminary were rejoicing and in the evening the 
building was illuminated and a torch light 
procession came out to salute us. 
The next morning we looked into town and 
saw the flags hanging at halfmast and 
heard the bells tolling.  Then we knew some 
sad calamity must have befallen the country. 
Soon a messenger bore us the sad tiding [sad tiding underlined] 
that our beloved President [beloved President underlined] was assassinated. 
Our feelings [underlined] may better be imagined [underlined] than 
described.  Our house was draped in mourning,