5th Maine Infantry

Item LTR-8288

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Camp Franklin
October 21, 1861

Dear Wife,

I received a letter from you dated October 13 and was glad to hear from you and that you prosper so well. I am gaining from my sickness but am very weak and my hand trembles as you can see by my writing. I don’t do my duty nor shall not until I get strong and able to do it without hurting me. The Captain says that he don’t want me to do duty until I am able.

I was much surprised to hear the death of Captain Bragdon. Don’t the Barstow family take the death of him very hard? It must be a severe blow to them for they thought a great deal of him. But the rich have to die when it comes their time as well as the poor.

Speaking of keeping that old stove. I think you had better change the two and get you a new coal stove and you will take comfort through the winter.

I want to hear from the money that [I] sent you by Major Scamman. He left here for Portland a week ago last Saturday about four o’clock and would not reach Portland until Monday night or Tuesday morning. There was twelve dollars in an envelope directed to you in care of J. R. Lunt Company. 108 Middle Street, Portland.

Pearce Noyes, if he told you what you wrote in your letter about his writing to me to send some money, he told a devilish lie. If he had wrote any such thing to me I should have wrote to him that it was none of his business about my money and should have told him not to interfere with my business in that shape. I was glad to hear that you received that letter that I sent [by] Haniford, but was he could not stop to talk with you. I do not feel much like writing today but as the most of the company have gone on picket guard and the camp was so quiet, thought it would be a good time to think and write to you but think you will be puzzled to read it. I wrote you a letter October 17.

Probably we shall be paid off in ten or twelve days and then I shall send you more money as much as I can. I may take [some] to buy me a pair of good boots for this winter as Government furnishes nothing but shoes and so think it will be best for me to have a nice tight pair of boots even if I do have to buy them with my own money.

Now wife, I don’t want you to suffer for anything that money will [alleviate]. Think you had better see Lunt and get him to change them stoves and get you a new one. If you have to pay, it won’t be much. Then you will take some comfort.

Give my respects to Mr. and Mrs. Lord. Tell them I should like to see them. My respects to all enquiring friends. Tell Mrs. Mason I saw Woodbury this morning. Told me he received a letter from her with her miniature. He is going to show it to me but think he went on picket today.

My love and best wishes to my dear wife from her husband.
J. W. Eastman