Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch requesting his "Lenten regulations" for the season. She also writes of putting most of her money in the stockpiling of provisions "before the new currency comes in." February 10, 1864. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about plans to move the Convent and Academy out of downtown Columbia after the war and mentions the death and funeral of Confederate General Smith. She also writes of brother Hugh's new position as aid to General Beauregard in Charleston and informs the Bishop that his "boy" sent up from Charleston to work on one of the Bishop's properties may have "gone to the yankees." October 10, 1862. 8p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning news from the Ursuline Convent and Academy. Madame Baptiste asks the Bishop to take care of the personal effects of Sister Theresa's brother who was recently killed in action. She also writes of having the Bishop's slave "Isaac" at the Convent as a gardener and, impressed by his work, would like to hire him "by the year." July 11, 1862. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about news at the Ursuline Convent and Academy. She mentions that the Bishop's slave, Isaac, who has been working at the Convent, has asked that his children be moved to Mr. Kitt's place, recently acquired by the Bishop, so that he could see them more easily. February 14, 1863. 4p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about several recent visitors to the convent, including one woman, a mother of a boarder at the academy, who has come to retrieve her daughter. The mother, Madame Baptiste writes, has been "implicated for running off negroes to the yankees" and Madame Baptiste fears that both "may be hanged." January 15, 1864. 3p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning news at the Ursuline Convent and Academy, including a humorous anecdote of one of the local priests running through the convent to get altar breads. December 17, 1863. 2p.
Letter from John Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch about procuring provisions for the Ursuline Convent and Academy and about news of the war. John writes that the man hired to obtain the provisions fears impressment of the supplies and requests that the Bishop provide him an endorsed certificate that proves the goods are for the convent should any Confederate officers stop him. John also mentions the movement of troops through Columbia on their way to Tennessee where "Genl Lee and the President have planned a campaign against Rosencrantz (sic)". September 18, 1863. 4p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning the upcoming school year at the Academy. She writes about the number of boarders, teachers, reference books, finances and provisions. She also comments on the "blockade paper" her letter is written on and mentions a deserter that the Bishop had attended to prior to his execution. August 29, 1862. 8p.
Madame Baptiste writes to Bishop Patrick Lynch about her concerns over the war. She has heard that the British Consul in Charleston intends to leave and fears it is in anticipation of a Union attack. She recounts the story of a Catholic saint who, in a time of war, was able to summon a storm of gnats to disrupt the horses of the enemy and asks the Bishop, "can you not do something like that for Charleston?" She also asks the Bishop about investments, fearing that the Confederate currency might one day be worthless. February 5, 1863. 2p.
Letter from Madame Lynch to Bishop Patrick Lynch touching on a variety of topics. She writes of acquiring a piano and "Erhard" harp for the community and muses at length at why there have been no attempts at peace with "Napoleon (III) mediating now." She mentions inoculating the children at the academy for smallpox and describes an awful barrel of flour the Bishop had sent to Columbia. She tells of the horrible condition of the "negroes" in Lancaster writing, "I never have patience with the yankees, except when I think of the abolition of slavery." January 28, 1863. 8p.