139th Illinois Infantry

Item LTR-6483

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 6 pages written in period ink.


Provost Marshal’s Office
Cairo, Illinois

July 10th 1864

Darling Wife,

I must try to write you a letter today to make some amends for the apology for a letter that I sent to you on Friday. (There goes the dinner bell.) You will see that it is now noon. I could not get to writing any earlier. I begin to feel that there will be no Sunday before I return. There was some business to be done this morning. Then I went out to get shaved, then washed out my night shirt, some towels and stockings. Took a little rest and commenced writing. Captain Frury and myself have eaten our meals up here together and as he has just gone up to headquarters, I shall keep writing until he comes back.

The weather has been extremely hot the past week and everybody seems more or less affected by the heat. Friday afternoon we had a very fine rain and since I have been writing, it has commenced again and is raining nicely now. And the air seems very much cooler and more refreshing.

I feel sad this morning Dear, that I have bad news to write to you. Death for the first time made his appearance in our regiment and what is rather remarkable has taken two members of our company. Samuel Patterson of Alsip died on Friday night and was buried yesterday at Mound City. Last night, Mr. Hasley died. I wrote to you that he was dangerously sick, so you will be somewhat prepared to hear the news of his death. I have not been able to learn much particulars of his sickness. But I presume the cases will be reported in the Republican. I am confined in the office and have not as yet been to the hospital at all. (Captain F. has just come back and now we will have a little dinner.) After dinner, Mrs. Hasley came down on the train at ½ past 5 this morning. Of course, she did not see him alive. She came with Lieutenant Chapman. He went on account of the sickness of his wife. But as near as I can find out, there was not much sickness in the case. I hear that she is not thought very much of in Lee Mills. But I find that I am getting things mixed up some. I want to tell you a little about Mrs. Hasley’s coming down, etc.. Captain F. and the Major telegraphed up to B. W. Fassett the condition that Hasley was in. Of course, she wanted to come down and see him and as she had no means to come. Mr. F. went around and raised $25 for her. She wishes to take his body back but as it would cost some 70 or 80 dollars, she has concluded to give up the idea and he will be buried at Mound City (on the Ohio River some 7 or 8 miles above Cairo). Tomorrow a detail will be made from the regiment to bury the body. All the soldiers who die here are buried at Mound City, as the ground there is higher and more favorable.

Captain Frury is improving in his health slowly. His proper place is undoubtedly at home. But then as long as he is only a kindred dazer, he hates to give up. The thing I hinted at Friday has come to pass and Captain F. is relieved from further duty as Provost Marshal.

He received the order relieving him last evening and in a few moments his successor, Captain j. C. Scott of the 136th Regiment made his appearance and entered upon the discharge of the duties of the Office. I expected as a matter of course to be relieved too, but I still remain here. When I first left the regiment, I had no detail but a verbal one. But now I understand that I am regularly detailed as clerk at this office. I can give you no kind of a reason for the removal of Captain Frury – unless it be that his health was too poor to attend to the duties of the office.

It made quite a difference to me his going. For he had sent home for sheets, pillow and cases and bought a mosquito bar. I do not know how Captain Scott will arrange matters, but one thing is sure, I will not try to sleep here in Cairo without some sort of protection against the mosquito. They are an intolerable pest. Half the people you see look as if they have the small pox. I sent up for some things to Mrs. Frury when the Captain wrote, but she did not send any bed clothes. She sent shirts, my pants, like my coat and vest, linen coat and shearing tools. The latter, however, I think I shall not use. As my mustache protects my lip and keeps it from getting sore. You know how I have been troubled in that aspect in hot weather. But I have not had a touch of it since I left home. Perhaps you will want me to shave before I see you as a long moustache might be in the way!! As soon as I determine about sleeping matters, I shall write home for some bed clothes.

You will feel a little anxious to know about Captain Scott I suppose. How I like him, what sort of man he is and etc.. of course, I cannot tell much about him yet. I can only say that I like his appearance very much. He is social, pleasant and seems like a very capable man. He has not been in the service long enough to put on any airs. I have no doubt that we will get along very well.

But perhaps you would like to have me say a word or two about my health. I cannot say that I am as well as I have been most of the time since I left home. For a couple of days, I have felt quite slim. I think however, that it is occasioned by the heat more than anything else and as I am eating very light and taking great care of myself in other aspects, I expect to come out all fright. You may judge by the length of this letter that I am not very badly off. Now Dear, if you worry a bit about me, I shall not tell you again when I am a little poorly. I write to you always just exactly as it is.

I wrote Friday that I should expect a letter that day and sure enough it came. A dear good welcome letter. I was glad to get it and to hear that you and Freddie well and were enjoying yourselves. It is a great comfort to me to feel that you are so comfortably situated in my absence. I should differently if I was not assured that our friends at S. do not look upon you as a burden. But you know that you are visiting for me as well as yourself. And I shall be glad to take charge of you just as soon as I can after the 8th of September as possible.

It is too bad for Perry to be so disappointed about his carpenter’s work. I don’t see how he stands it. It certainly must make a good deal of difference with his arrangements. I really hope his work is commenced now. Tell him that our chance for whipping the rebels here is just the same as the man’s sons sitting in the house with a hoe in his hand for digging potatoes. He said if you want any potatoes dug “fetch ‘em on.” So I say son, if you want any rebels whipped “fetch ‘em on.”

Tell Minnie that her mother must put some soap on her when she puts her to bed and then she will stick and not fall out. I am very glad to hear that she is a good girl. I want to see her and all the nephews and nieces very much indeed. I am a little surprised that Della is going to marry Justin Howard. But I suppose that in that matter she is the one to be suited. I don’t think that it is anything against a man to be old enough to know something. I am somewhat old myself, but if I had not had a wife until now, I presume I should be looking after one pretty sharp. What do you think Mrs. H! Now Lydia Dear, you see there I have about filled this sheet. I shall have to take another as I wish to write some to Freddie and I will write some to you. Here are some things that need a little looking into and I will attend to them.

Dear Freddie,

I thought when I commenced writing that I should not write to you in particular but address my letter to both of you. But I feel that I must write some to you. While I sit here writing, our boys are going through the manual of arms in squads. We have very fine guns, they are called “Enfield Rifled Muskets.” I have mine selected, a very nice dark colored birch. How do you think that I will look with knapsack, haversack, canteen, cartridge belt and musket all strapped to me and everything that I call my own about me. Do you think that I can load myself down with bottles of horseradish, fruit, and etc.? You may well guess that I shall make my load just as light as possible.

But I find that I stand my walks thus far first rate. I have been to town and back most every day one and sometimes twice. I have written to mother all that I know. About our starting from here, the fact is that there is no one that seems to know anything about these matters except the staff officers. And they will not and ought not to say anything about it. I shall write to you as soon as I know anything about it. Freddie, you can have no conception of the noise that I have to write in. in an adjoin bunk, one of our men is nailing up a shelf or something else of that kind. Our drummer is practicing on the side of his dorm and etc. and etc.. George Bicknell has enlisted to go as a drummer in our company. He got the $50 bounty the same as the others. Mr. Towers has received the appointment as drum major.

And now Freddie, how do you get along in Skaneateles? I expect that you and mother have written me a good long letter today. I hope that I shall hear from you before I leave this camp. For if I do not, perhaps it will be some time before I hear from you again. I have not much news to write but I shall probably find something to write as often as I can have the opportunity to. Now for home, you go along in the testament and I want you to write to me and tell me if you try to be a good boy. I sent home your testament, as I have a very pretty one that I received from the agent of Christian Commission. I hope to read it through before my hundred days are over. Give my love to all the friends and write to me about your visit.

Much love from your Father,

D. Hall