Nathan Sargent from John M. Clayton, May 25, 1855

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Buena Vista - Del. May 25. 1855

My dear friend,

I wrote you sometime since to say to Mrs. Carter not to expect me till I should inform her I was better.  Yesterday I had another attack in the region of the heart which frustrates me.  So please tell her not to keep rooms for me till I write again.  I may not be able to go to Washington as I hoped.  But I don not yet despair.  My physician tells me he can cure me in a few weeks thoroughly.  He says the affection is from sympathy with the liver & will be relieved.  I had been treated for the wrong complaint.

I am in great suspense about Virginia.  If our friends there had made an open organization & got rid of the secrecy, I should have had no apprehensions.  In Wilmington when we had near 500 majority last year with an open ticket, a secret nomination almost ruined us.  We elected the mayor by only 30 majority & lost the treasurer by 80.

Every faithfully yours
John M. Clayton

Nathan Sargent Esq.
Washington, D. C.