Murfreesboro,
Tennessee
May 30th 1863
Dear Sister
I
received yours of the 22nd ins, yesterday and I am now trying to do
what I can to handle my writing traps for your gratification and my benefit. I
have been working all day and am a little nervous so that I do not think I can
write much but I will give you a little account of what we are doing now and
what we are likely to do soon.At this time we are laying in
camp doing the regular routine of
camp and field duty. Our guards are sometimes shot at and some times our
cavalry bring in some of the greasy butternuts who generally seem very glad that they have been so
fortunately as to fall into our hands for they say that their officers are
becoming very strict on them and they have not had (a) full ration of meat for
three or four months and the rations are still getting less and some of them go
so far as to say that the war will be ended in three months in our favor for
the Southern soldiers are getting very much dissatisfied and the men it is thought
will throw down their arms and go home feeling very glad to come once more
under the laws based on the good old constitution of of the U.S.
Many think that if General Grant succeeds
in taking Vicksbourgh that we will march on to Chatinooga, Tennessee but that
General Woods (we) will stay here
at this place to guard the forts and stores which will be left here. I hope
when this reaches you that Father will be perfectly well. General Grant has
been very successful so far and I hope he may able to take the whole army for
if he does I think that thing is about done with. It is now 8 o’clock and I
will have to quit this time and go to bed. Write often while Father is sick and
tell me of all the changes in his health. I hope he may be spared by the all powerful God until I get home to receive his blessing
and pardon for disobeying him in coming into the army against his will. I think
we will soon be paid and then I will send you some money to use.
Dear Sister take good care of yourself and
our dear Parents who have been so good to us in by gone days and now in their
old days we should do all in our power to make them happy. You need not be
particular about sending me anything
by express or by a private person for it costs too much.
No changes have taken place in the Medical
Department yet but I think it will soon take place and then I will tell you if I
get the place I have been
expecting for some. It has been
raining two or three days but it
was very acceptable for the ground was very dry and the streets were very
dusty.
I suppose you remember Weldgoklean the sadler Nelsons son. I
seen him a few days ago he is a Sergeant in the 37th Indiana
Regiment. Give my respects to all and remember that it is your loving and affectionate brother
Luther M Beaver
Luther M Beaver was 21 years old on the 25th
of May 1863
3 comments:
I love these letters, Curtis. Please keep 'em coming.
It should be noted how literate that era's writings are in terms of grammar,style, logic, idiomatic expressions, appropriate use of analogy and metaphors, etc., is by that generation (not to mention penmanship)--most barely having a HS education--compared to the woeful dreck produced/written by todays college-educated generations. This fact was first brought home to me when viewing the numerous letters on display at the Confederate Museum in New Orleans. (The 2nd largest display of Civil War memorabilia in the nation next to the one at Richmond, Va.) It was really an eye-opener. What a sad, sad, commentary on our modern education system..
While in Maine we went to the Maine Maritime Museum. I was struck by the logbooks they had opened from brigs that had made 23 passages to Cuba in the early '90s. Beautiful penmanship for a pitching deck. I post these in Edwardian script because that is exactly what he was writing in. I don't know if you see them in Edwardian font but that was the goal.
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