Washington March 26th 1820My dear friend,

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I look forward to the time when I hope to see you with much impatience, which I hope will take place in about a month from this time - The day of adjournment is not yet fixed, yet the 17th of April is now supposed to be the time which will agreed upon - I am the more anxious to be at home before the first of May, to relieve you from any care respecting our spring business, especially if Garfield should chose to leave the farm - however I am determined to be at home if I am well about that time whether congress adjourns, or not - I have received no letters from you for the last week which, according to this unusual arrival ought to have been received yesterday or the day before - The mail has been robed again near Baltimore the driver murdered and all the letters carried off - on account of the money contained in them - but I have just learned that the robbers have been taken and are now confined in the jail at Baltimore, and will be hanged I hope - A very unpleasant occurrence has happened at Washington during the last week, Commodores Decatur and Barron have settled a point of honor agreeably to the laws of this part of the country, Decatur was shot the body and died in about 13 hours, and Barron was shot into his hips - but is not dead and probably will recover - he is in great distress, and not able to turn himself in bed, nor to be raised up without fainting - Decatur has been justly considered the pride and ornament of the navy - and was universally esteemed

as a citizen and a friend - I believe if the president had fallen in his stead, his death would hardly been more regretted - he has left a wife, but I understand he had no children - he owned a fine seat near the president, were he resided, and it is said has left a large estate - His funeral was attended at 4 o'clock on - congress adjourned in season to allow any members who chose to attend, an opportunity - I went up near the house where I could see the procession - it was very numerous - attended by a fine band of [] all the military - the president and heads of Departments part of the Senate and house, foreign Ministers with their suits and an immense number of citizens - supposed to be in the whole 8 or 10 thousand - and during the procession minute guns were firing at the Navy yard - so much in honor of a man who was killed in a duel - It is such men as these which a sanction to a practice, which has already taken a deep [    ] at the South, & probably will never be eradicated, at last before the takes place -

S. C. Crafts
March 26, 1821

My health remains good, and I wish I could be sure that yours and the children were as good - I conclude Samuel is at Burlington - I have written two or three letters, and directed to him these, & sent him a few dollars - but have had no letter from him - I hear nothing from Hartford, except by Mr Reefs, but I have written several times to your brother & sent him such papers and documents as I supposed would interest him -

Mrs E crafts

Give my love to Mary & tell her I will write to her next week - and believe me, whether present or absent, your faithful and affectionate friendSamuel