April 16 Saturday – Livy & Sam wrote from Buffalo to Susan L. Crane, Livy’s adopted sister. They’d received a letter from Jervis who was in Richmond, Va., and moving further South to Charleston and Savannah for his growing illness. Most of the letter is by Livy, but Sam intruded with:

…and Susie dear, will you send us a couple of cats by the next minister or other party that is coming this way. We have not a cat on the place, & the mice will not patronize the little trap because it is cheap & small & uncomfortable, & not in keeping with the other furniture of the house. If you could send us a kitten or two like “Livy,” it would suit Mr. Clemens’s idea of what a house-cat should be [MTL 4: 108].

Sam and Livy also wrote Jervis & Olivia again (Sam on Apr. 16 and Livy on Apr. 17).

Dear Father & Mother— / Day before yesterday I loaned Mr. Larned $3,000 taking as security one-half of his ownership in the Express—the loan is for one year. Bowen & Rogers drew the papers at Mr. Slee’s instance. Took Mr Slee’s advice in everything. I have concluded to keep him here, for I cannot do well without him, but will get you a good man in his place. My wife still needs Mrs. Slee for some time yet, also, & so it seems absolutely necessary that we retain the family here for the present [MTL 4: 109].

An unidentified man wrote to Clemens recalling being with him on the exploration of a mine tunnel in late April, 1863 at the Boston Mine, afterwards known as the Echo Mine. The man’s point is never given, because nothing after page 4 survives [MTP].

Sam’s article “The New Crime” was printed in the Buffalo Express.

“Is not this insanity plea becoming rather common? …Really, what we want now, is not laws against crime, but a law against insanity. There is where the true evil lies” [McCullough 180].