In the course of this year her sympathies were also deeply touched by repeated visits from her brother-in-law, Professor Hopkins, on his way to and from Virginia.  Allusion has been made already to the death of her nephew, Lieutenant Edward Payson Hopkins.  He was killed in battle while gallantly leading a cavalry charge at Ashland, in Virginia, on the 11th of May, 1864.  In June of the following year his father went to Ashland with the hope of recovering the body.  Five comrades had fallen with Edward, and the negroes had buried them without coffins, side by side, in two trenches in a desolate swampy field and under a very shallow covering of earth.  The place was readily discovered, but it was found impossible to identify the body.  The disappointed father, almost broken-hearted, turned his weary steps homeward.  When he reached Williamstown his friends said, “He has grown ten years older since he went away.”

Several months later he learned that there were means of identification which could not fail, even if the body had already turned to dust.  Accordingly he again visited Ashland, attended this time by soldiers, a surgeon, and Government officials.  His search proved successful, and, to his joy, not only was the body identified, but, owing to the swampy nature of the ground, it was found to be in an almost complete state of preservation.  There was something wonderfully impressive in the grave aspect and calm, gentle tone of the venerable man, as with his precious charge he passed through New York on his way home.  In a letter to Mrs. Prentiss, dated January 2d, 1866, he himself tells the story of the re-interment at Williamstown: 

...  After stopping a minute at my door the wagon passed at once to the cemetery, and the remains were deposited in the tomb.  This was on Thursday.  After consulting with my brother and his son (the chaplain) I determined to wait till the Sabbath before the interment.  Accordingly, at 3 o’clock—­after the afternoon service—­the remains of my dear boy were placed beside those of his mother.  The services were simple, but solemn in a high degree.  They were opened by an address from Harry.  Prayer followed by Rev. Mr. Noble, now supplying the desk here.  He prefaced his prayer by saying that he never saw Edward but once, when he preached at Williamstown at a communion and saw him sitting beside me and partaking with me.  Singing then followed by the choir of which Eddy was for a long time a member.  The words were those striking lines of Montgomery: 

  Go to the grave in all thy glorious prime, etc.

After which the coffin was lowered to its place by young men who were friends of Edward in his earlier years.