Thanks him for the books, which were the ones she was just ready to order. For seven years has been so sick that she is "as stationary as any article of household furniture." Henry Howe was there last week collecting materi for a history of Virginia, and Sally gave him a picture of the Old Capitol and one of the old stone ruin in James City County "which has the appearance of having been a place of defence, having loopholes and c." He asked John to prepare a historical sketch of the hospital. [Note: Henry Howe, Historical Collection of Virginia... Charleston, S.C., 1856, contains a sketch of the Capitol, p. 329, and of "Ruins at Jamestown (probably the church tower) on p. 317. In his Preface, Howe states that he began his travels for the book in 1843, and that most of his drawings were made on the spot.]