Letters From Home

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Like the thread on Soldier Stories started by Neil.

I like to see some letters from the people at home to their brothers, husbands, sons and other relatives that are off far from home.

Regards, Steven

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To L. Foster and Wife

Dec. the 1 = 1861

dear Cousins
After so long a time i once more seat myself to write a few lines to you we are all well and hope this will find you all the same we received your most welcome letter in due time and was glad to hear from you once more we had a good deal of sickness in our family this fall it commenced in Bateses family first little sarah Jane was taken with the bloody flux and died she was sick five weeks before little sarah Jane died Bateses wife was taken with the same disease she lay for 6 weeks that she [unclear: wasn't ] expected to live but through the providence of god she is better father was taken with the same disease and for two weeks we did not think he would live but he is getting better now so you may judge whether we had our hands full or not there is great excitement here about the war every body is for fight Illinois has turned out 70 thousand troops for the war and can send as many more if wanted i say down with the rebel flag if it takes all we have got, our property and our lives if cotton is king then let us know it but let us wallow in blood up to our horses bridle bits before we give it up let the cannons roar till every rebel shall lay down his arms and beg for mercy Lyman you wrote, you talked of coming west you wanted to know the price of land here it is various prices improved farms are worth from 15 to 25 dollars an Acre prairie from 10 to 12 dollars an Acre i think you had all better sell out and come west for i think you can live easier here than you can there tell uncle and aunt to come west and see us and then he can see the Country for i am sure if he sees it he will like it we have plenty of fruit here this fall father had all the apples and [unclear: currants ] and [unclear: laughten] berries they wanted uncle Eshon Winchesters folks are all well uncle has taken Bates farm for five years he likes the county very much Samuel Winchester has gone to war he is in Kentucky Polly Jane is teaching school i must draw my letter to a close for fannie wants to write a few lines you must write more often and i will do the same.

this from E. and F. Hunt
good night much love to all

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This letter is from Ellen (GOLDSMITH) BOND, to her son Ty BOND. Ellen has already lost one son, Benjamin, to the war & now two more are wounded or missing (Hezakiah & Daniel). Her youngest son Edward is also in the war.


July 3rd /64

Dear Son.



I have written twice since I received thine of [ ] May 22nd but I have more important news now. last night we got word throu' the press that Hezekiah was wounded in the leg severely. That Corporal Danial Bond was amongue the missing supposed to be taken prisoner.


Daniel was him self too cautious to [?] quite a risk of being taken at Gettysburg last year; Hezekiah informed us that when the colors fell Daniel caught them up and pushed forward calling, "come on boys." Inconsequently he was appointed color guard.




I shall not write much now, have several letters to write to day. they will be short of necessity




Since the above was written a neighbor knowing me deeply interested in that battalion gave me[ Sa]terdays paper [in] overviewing I find Hen[ry ]Brown wounded severely in hand[an]d breast as P?) there is no such[ ]Co.A. and changing the N. to W. w[ ]ive our Brown's name I believe it[ ]
[ ] These disasters occurred the 24th[ ] as near as I have learned


Heze[kia]h has every time met a serious reverse as [ ]on as he went into the ranks he knows nothing of monotonous camp life.


In these afflictions I have not Daniel's strong arm to lean on, Hezekiah's quiet but deep sympathy, Edward's hopeful suggestions, Samson's pointing to the brightest spot in future nor P's ever ready word of consolation, Joseph's unvarying kindness I is still present.


The last from Ed he was just getting out of the region of post Offices said I need not write to him as he would not be apt to get a letter and could send none. His date then was june 10th. I got a letter from Cornelia some days past date june 17th.
This from thy Mother Ellen Bond

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Letter from Cornelia Edwards to Pelatiah Bond.
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Noblesville Indiana
May 15th 1862
Dear Ty
I trust you will pardon me for not writing you a few days sooner it has now been over a week since I last wrote and something like three days since I relieved your last kind affectionate letter. I did seemingly neglect you, but it was not all, neglect. I think you would consider my excuse all sufficient, and would say it was all right Nellie. Every evening this week I thought I would write, but each time something prevented and last evening I came to the conclusion that I would spend the evening in writing, but just as I was getting ready to have an interview with you, one of my school mates called to see me so I had to lay down the pen and try to entertain him. a very poor entertainment however, I enjoyed his company very much, but think I would have enjoyed writing to you some letter, it was almost dark when he left and after that I had to prepare my lessons for today. but here I have got one page filled with nothing but an appology, when I know it would have been all the same, if I had made none at all. Now if I could just write an interesting letter to you I would feel much better over it. I have nothing to write about only the school for I don¹t go out much and there fore do not know what is going on. Now I can hear you thinking "why do you not write your own thoughts it is them I love to hear, and not the thoughts of others". but my dear have I not writen them a number of times untill I fear it will get to be an old song to you. do you think there is any danger Ty? Oh this is such a lonely morning. I wonder what you are doing. I expect you are having a good time walking around over that sweet spot. You say it would be pleasant to take a walk together. Well I think so too, but never mind, perhaps we will enjoy a good many pleasant walks together there. I hope so at least. Oh I am almost affraid to think of it. I must go I hear the bell ringing - good bye and a kiss
Evening.
I again resume the pleasant task of writing you. To day that we had a pleasant time at school today would only be [?] words. that would not express it half. I think I never enjoyed school so well in my life. Yes, once I did when I went to Ben, but that is all past, and I will say no more about it. The honorable Prof. Zerwilliger visited our school today, and oh you better think we had fun. He sent us word this morning that he was coming this after noon, and as Mr Gissel had never seen or heard of the fellow of course we represented him to be something more than ordinary. well he pretended to be very much excited over it, and gave us a great many instructions as to how we should perform before the hon¹ gentleman. but then this is not so funny to you as so I¹ll not "bore" you with any more. friend Marda is just now passing to window and says to give her love to the one I am writing to, You must accept it and send some in return for she is such a good girl. You say to tell you when I intend to go home I want to go next saturday week but an not sure that I will, have an opportunity. I will go if possible but I will write you again next week as let you know. I want to go so bad it is now almost five weeks since I left home. I received a letter [#42] from dear coz Milt Yesterday, his only little girl has taken very sick the night before, and he was very uneasy about her. oh it would make you cry to read the letter it is so sad I fear, he will never again be the merry light=hearted man he once was. I also received a letter from Sallie Howe but I will send it to you. then you can better judge of her grief
Ty the advice you gave me was all so good. I know I will profit by it I enjoy such good health that I seen sometimes very careless about retaining it. My dear, without any joking about it have you realy any notion of joining the army now. I don¹t think it is necessary for any one to enlist at present but I am no judge. Have you heard from brother Dan since I saw you , when you write to him tell him some good things for [?] I must quit writing. Mattie Swain in coming after me to go and stay all night with her, we want to get our Algebra lessons together, we are now working in Simple Equations

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New Britton Indiana
Dec 21st 1862.
Sunday Morning Cos' Brandon's

Dear kind husband
last friday evening I went to the office to get a letter from you and I got it; like you Ty I will not attempt to tell you how rejoiced I was, to hear from you nor how often I read the letter but will pass am to tell you something you don't know so will as you do that on Friday evening after receiving your letter I went to cos John's and yesterday morning went with Mr & Mrs Hamble to Noblesville, oh Ty! I never enjoyed a day so sweetly except in your company in my life, I first went to Swain's met with a very kind [?] for [?] the old folks and came near being used up by Matt, her first question was how is "Tiberias" and that was followed by a dozen more before I had time to reply to anything she asked, I took dinner there then called to see Zara Pantions of whom you have heard me speak she had just came in from the country where she is teaching school, oh what a sad sweet hour I spent with her. She was asking me all about you have I enjoyed married life and if it was not very hard to be separated from the one I love so well. I was trying to answer her questions and telling her that I was do much happier now than before marriage. She draued a miniature of a gentleman out of her basket, then a letter which told that the one she was to have been married to this winter, was among the dead. Zara was cheerful at the time but them was such a sad expression on her countenance, what would make me pity and love her more. I met a number of my schoolmates on the street, some of them did not recognize me and others would and would say "why Nellie Edwards! with almost as much surprise as I Said "oh Ty! Nearly all the young men that I was acquainted with have gone to war among them [Tom] Swain, but I guess I have told you enough about that visit. I didn't get to stay half long enough and am going back some saturday to stay all night. I did not know positively that Sebe was taken as prisoner untill you told me I am indeed sorry. and still more to know that he cannot come home. I notice in the papers that they will not give furlough to paroled prisoners any more, Yet if they are sent to Indianapolis Kate can go and see Sebe, oh wont he be glad to see her and Ellie. Kate was not at home when I was there. Dear Ty I would live to know how you and brothers are spending this gloomy disagreeable day, I hope you are happy oh Ty I do want to see you so much today but why should I tell it so often when it is utterly impossible but in [?] of the impossibilities I sometimes feel as though I could not wait much longer for you to come but I must lay down my pen and take care of Bell while Sue gets dinner, we have company today and Sue and another lady are [?] me they have told me a great many things that I never new and I think it doubtfull about it all being true at least I will believe as much of it as I choose. Now Good bye and a kiss.

Dinner over and I resume my writing
looking over your letter My dear Ty I have just been (oh there I made a mistake) and I find many items of importance, the last however is far the best and sweetest to me and Ty you need not fear that it will ever grow stale it is just as sweet now as it was the first time heard you say it, but it don't create so much surprise as then, you know Ty I was not expecting it, but if I remember it did not take long to convince me that all you said was true, one look at you was alsuffecient. Dear Ty I do not wonder that you feel a very great anxiety about our brothers in the eastern army more [?] at this time as they have no doubt been in the late engagement, and I fear that you will not be as happy and cheerful as you usual are and then the sad strain in which Daniel writes would be enough to allay to some extend your enjoyment, I know Ty that you are naturally so hapfull always looking at the side of everything yet I think dear Ty that you must have some such sad moments now oh how much I have thought of this of late and wish I might be with you at such times. I know dear husband that never can express my feeling on such occasions but it always seems that you can read my thought, and I love so well to hold your head on my bosom untill you could throw off the sad feelings and be your happy self again, but I must not indulge in such reflections and just now while I think of it I want to ask you how you sent that miniature to me I have heard nothing from it yet when I was at home I asked Melisa about it but she knew nothing about it and the letter from your mother I have relieved neither of them and have been wondering how you sent them, and while I am writing about miniatures I must tell you something right funny and the folks here think it is a good joke on you, it is this, when I was at Noblesville, I got the miniature of my old unseen friend Hector Fraser, it it had been there ever since the [?] I left there, he is what most every one (young ladies especially) would call a handsome man but I think he looks to much like a "black=leg", I must confess I am not very favorably impressed, however I may be mistaken, the girls at town who saw it think he is a fine looking fellow, I think he resembles Proff Thomas who went with us to [?] the folks tell me , I had better not tell you about getting it or you might get angry at me about it, I tell them if you do it will all be right, but oh how glad I am that I have no such fears, wouldn't I feel sweet to be affraid to tell you such a thing why you would be the first one I would this [?] of telling you see Ty I am saying sweet things to you just to keep you from getting '[?]". Dear husband it is night, I have been sitting here by the stove indulging in a sweet strain of thoughts and need I tell you my dear Ty that every thought was of you, oh no! you know that I always think of you, I am so glad that we know nothing of distrust, but always feel such perfect confidence in each other, I never think of you but that I feel you assured that you are thinking of me and my husband will not our thoughts and prays ascend and meet at the throne of God, oh what beautiful thoughts we can have even though we are separated, I feel happy tonight and more resigned than I have all day but sometimes Ty is it not hard to say "Thy will be done, not mine?" Here comes Willie is talking about "Ty" he always knows when I am writing to you and trys so hard to tell me something, you would not know Bell she has grown so; In a letter I wrote you and directed to the regiment I sent you a letter that I rec'd from sister Lizzie I thought it was good and funny, I also sent you a ballad of "Ten oclock at night", you remember how sweetly Sam sung it the night we were married. I learned it from the [?], by the way Charlie has got offended at me but still keeps saying funny things, when he is not to angry. oh I wish you could have heard him a few evenings ago. Ty in looking over this letter I notice a great number of errors, but I have had a very poor [?] to write there has been some one here all day [?] much talking that it was rather difficult to write then this miserable old pen, but here it is nearly time to quit writing oh my dear dear husband! how I could talk to you tonight if I could see you, I so often think of our last visit together and how sweet it was. I had almost forgot to thank you for the letter you wrote my dear scholars. I think such letters will do them good I do not find a great deal of trouble in teaching book learning for they all have bright intellects but oh Ty I have labored as hard to have a feeling of love existing towards each other and several times just as was beginning to think I had [?] [?] got my object accomplished there would some difficult arise and for a time almost discourage me. I sometimes feel that I do not take the right course and try some other plan. I find that I can conguer by [?] gentle means, in most cases, but nought of this for the present must retire I will think of you a long time then offer up a prayer for your safety and the success of my school for you are the two objects entest me the most just at the present writ soon to your own wife

Sunday morning finds me at the school howe I have just got a fire built and the floor swept it is not school time and none of the the scholars have come yet. I understand I am to have visitors today. I violated one of the rules of the old "flint lock system the other day I [?] one of the spelling classes and you [see] it as not going to work well, but now good bye my dear husband, I'll write you soon again, do the same.

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McCordsville Indiana
February 7th 1863

Sweet home:My dear kind husband,

Saturday night finds me seat by the stand writing to the one I dearly love and respect. I am not alone. Melissa and Carrie are at work, Ma is reading the journal. We have been begging her to write you all tomorrow. She has promised to if she feels well, last evening when the girls returned from school, they brought a letter for me and one for Ma from you and Simpson. oh glad I was, for I was afraid I would have to wait a long time before getting another, it was very thoughtful and kind of you to direst one to McCordsville, and such a good sweet one just as you always write to your Nellie. Your last letter affected me in a different way from what your previous did. I laughed instead of cryed and we had a merry time all the evening. We talked of you and your brothers, so much, in fact we do every night until we get out of things to say,we talked of everything, we ever knew you to say and do. Ma told us a great many thing about brothers what interesting little fellows they were when they were young and I believe we finished off on that interesting visit you and I took to sugar creek. I never enjoyed myself better since you left me. We are not so lively to night, some of us are not so well. Kate has retired, her and I think we are taking the mumps. My neck and jaws are very sore and a little swollen and I should not wonder at all, if that is what's the matter. Ada has them now and Charlie he is taking them to day. I feel very dull tonight and you will excuse my dear if my letter is not so good as it might be, if I were well.
Sallie is on hands tonight as usual telling me a hundred and one funny things to tell you. she has been talking about the sport you and her used to have putting the ducks to bed, and now she wants me to tell you you that I am writing with her gold pen and silver case that Edward gave her and that she is going to write you a nice love letter letter with it tomorrow. Sebe went to Camp Carington on Wednesday, and returned last night he said all the officers were drunk even the Col no cook and there was not a guard around camp, so that he had nothing to prevent him from coming. I think this is rather a bad state of affairs, Sebe's going back on monday and thinks they start soon to Louisville to meet the reg' I have not received the letters you sent to Britton, the last one I mean,I got none the last week I was there, the last one I failed to respond to in my last , I will write some tomorrow and mention some things that you wrote for I remember they were very sweet and made a deep impression In your last you said something about a visit to Louisville, I would be delighted with the idea of a visit to see you if such a thing were possible, but I do not think it is as Sebe will,(he says) have to go on a freight train, or some other rough way that I would not like to go. I wrote to you in my last - something about going to Nashville with a company of nurses, I want so bad to know what you think of it and will expect a letter soon on that subject there was a company left Indianapolis; this week for that place and Mr. Hamanon said if they needed any more he wanted me to go. several of my lady friends are going. most of them that goes are married ladies I do not want to go with out first hearing from you for I know you will know wither it will be best for me to go. Melissa's school will close next week, then her and I are going to Pendleton, should nothing prevent us. oh how I wish you could be with us for then the visit would be so much pleasanter and then our cousins there would love so much to see you, but I don't feel like sitting up any later my head aches my throat is very sore and I feel bad but not very,much so and then I will be well in the morning oh how I would love to say good night with my tongue lips and eyes

I love you my own dear one
Our love to the boys. my respects to Sam

[cpl_lewis]

thank you for posting these, they're an interesting read

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McCordsville Indiana
Dec 25th 1863
Christmas night

Dearest Ty
I hope you have spent a merry happy Christmas and that you are quietly enjoying yourself tonight, thinking and dreaming of your wife and dear little babe, that I am sure you love so well. I have been trying to write you all day, but, the [?] were all gone but Ma myself and the children, and we had just [ can¹t read line] manage, when I could get time to write, I was so tired that I had to rest several times. Kate and the girls have gone to meeting tonight and all is still and quiet, except Ellie, who is trying to comb my hair while I am writing and all the time talking to me about little Myrtilla. Oh Ty how I wish you could see our darling baby. I know you would love her so much, she is dearer to me every day. I can scarcely look at her with out shedding tears of joy and gratitude.

I think she is going to be such a lovely child, she has such a mild sweet countenance, and is decidly a bright little creature as I ever saw, is already beginning to notice, and laugh a little when I play with her, and then she is so good, has never taken a hard or long cry yet, and let me add that she is a real little heavy, however, and taste might differ, but I know she is pretty, some say she looks like me, others think she resembles your side I can see a likeness of us both! I was quite uneasy about her for a while, she seemed so restless and nervous, some nights scarcely sleeping at all but now she is getting over it nicely, only that she will get up every morning at five oclock; they tease me a great deal about making such a carefull old fashioned Mother, but you know how little I care, now that I have a sweet little baby. I don¹t get so lonesome now , as I used to I can take her in my bosom and sleep so sweetly. Perhaps I aught to tell you (lest you might, have some fears about the mother), that I do not let my baby go bared arm in this cold weather, but keep her clothing good and warm every body that sees her, says she is a fine looking girl, but perhaps I have said enough about her for and I now for something else, and what shall it be. Yes now I know Carrie came home last night to spend Christmas, it is the first time she has been at home since she commenced teaching, she likes it pretty well, and seems in fine spirits. Will¹s family is well, the children all go to school except Ettie.
One teacher is beginning to let out his [?] [?] a little but is a good teacher other ways. Lieut Ian Heath, has returned from Pittsburgh, and he and Mr Milt Williams are going to teach a writing school in this vicinity. I suppose you remember Williams: he is as droll as ever.

Dear Ty Myrtie is awaking and I must take her up, she has been so good all day, and has slept all after noon and now she wants her supper. I will write more some time perhaps tomorrow
good night dear Ty

Do write me a long letter soon dear husband and now good night, I love you and our babe [?] that [?] others oh she is such a sweet pretty little creature I know you will think so, but it will be so long before you can see her can you wait!

of late so many have told me that the recruits will be kept the three years, oh can it be time that we will not get to see each other for so long a time, I was thinking , the nine months, would be a long long time to wait, I do want to see you dear Ty

Dr. Tom Harvey¹s wife died a week or two since

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Most welcome Cpl. Lewis.

They will make for a great reading material at the next event.

Yos
Steven

[cpl_lewis]

yes they will