17th Maine Infantry

Item LTR-345

Description

4 page original Civil War soldier's letter written in period ink and war dated.

Lincoln Hospital, Oct 26/63

My Dear Father:
I got a letter from Apphia today noon & she says you are sick. I need not tell you that I am sorry & that I hope you will soon get well again, for I don’t know hardly what I should do without father. But I have often felt that it was wrong for me to wish you to stay here in this world of sin & sorrow just on my account when I knew you suffered a good deal by the pains of old age & your old headaches & there, all is joy & peace, never ending. Oh dear father, I dare not tell how I should miss you, should I lose you. Of one thing you may be sure, that whether you live or die, there is a place you hold in my heart that no one else on earth can fill. I believe I cannot have such another friend as a pious faithful father is. I have learned to love & appreciate you within a year, more than ever before. You may be sure that you are never forgotten when I pray. I feel as though God alone could repay you for all your toils & trials on my account. I wish I was at home for your sake as well as my own. But it is otherwise determined. However, God does all things well. I feel our father that he loves you, & that he will do all things for our everlasting good. Don’t let it worry you that I am here, for God takes care of me. I can see it day by day. I have gone into another ward, so all are new faces. I had begun to feel quite at home there, but the companies were all mixed up through the wards & as our captain has the controls of this wing & another of the other, they wanted to have their men all in their own wing, & so we had to change. The patients are of the same class (mostly convalescent) as the other ward had. If there is anything that you can get you, that you want while you are sick, get it; it would do me good to have you get something with my money, for your comfort. Oh what a blessed thing it will be if we are not permitted to see each other again on earth, to meet an unbroken family in a better land than this dark world. My health continues good, & I have much to be thankful for, which others are deprived of. This engraving is a correct likeness of the Capitol, as it will be when it is all done. They are at work on the pillar on top of the dome now. We are all trying to have a home here on earth but God keeps reminding us that our home is above. I have often thought of this fact out in front, there as soon as we were encamped, the boys would begin to speculate on our stopping, but somehow marching orders would come & we would have to leave it. So it is with the Christian soldier, he gets a home and settles down as he often thinks for a long life, but death enters & takes a wife or the flames devour or some other evil befalls him & his bright prospects are blasted & he sees that he was too much taken up with his earthly home & not making the preparation he ought for a heavenly.
Give my love to Apphia & tell her I will answer her soon. Pray for me dear father that I may live in the fear of God all my days. Tell little Charlie that he must do all he can for grandfather to make him comfortable.
Your affectionate son
Henry M. Brett