Thursday, October 3, 2013

CIVIL WAR LETTER HOME CHATTANOOGA 1864

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                                                                        Medical Purveyors Office
                                                                           Chattanooga, Tennessee
                                                                                January 24th 1864
                                            Dear Father
                                                                 I received your kind letter of the 18th inst this evening and was very glad to hear that you were all well and that the small pox was not spreading for I was very much afraid that some of you would get it and would be taken off before I would have the chance to see you but I hope such will not be the case for want to see all you once more in this world. I have been out all day looking at the town and getting acquainted with some of the citizens of the place. It has been very warm all day for this time of the year, the thermometer has stood at 62 degrees all day where the sun was not shining on it and I expect it has been at about 32 degrees up there. I like the country very much for it seems to be very healthy, but I expect the coming summer will not be so for there are so many dead horses and mules laying around that when warm weather comes it will cause sickness unless they are soon hauled away.
Dear Father, if I was at home I would not notice my enemies but I would do all I could to undermine them in their undertaking to injure. I hope I may soon get home and then you will see my way of doing business to be very good for I will give them all they want. I do not write any one in Liberty but you with the exception of one or two instances. Please do not notice them for moving the post office to B. L. Goodwins for it will not do any good in the end. I have not made any ink yet but I will in the morning and if it does well I will get you to send some more. I wish you would send me a box of butter and dried fruit and a hat and when I am paid I will send home money enough to pay for them and as much besides as I can. The express is regular here and now there is no danger in sending a box. I wrote a letter to you some days ago in regard to enlisting as  U.S. but since then I have decided to come home as soon as possible  and then decide what to do. I seen Jne G  today, he is well and says he is not going to reenlist but  is coming home in April and intends staying there. I have not heard anything of the Regiment going into the veteran service but I think they are not, for the Colonel is here and says it will not go into the service for any longer time then it is now. I raised the body of A. R. Crist and took it to Bridgeport Alabama and there took a receipt from W. R. Cornelius, undertaker, who is to express it from Nashville. I wrote to Ezra Crist as soon as I could but I expect he has not got the letter for the mail has been delayed at this place for some days but on what account I cannot tell. Jne Ryram was here yesterday and took a cert book for me, which he will give to you if nothing happens. He has resigned and is a citizen. I think Jne is a very nice man but will do nothing for my good. I have just heard from Knoxville and the news is that the troops have come back to that place and have gone into winter camp and that they are foreseeing a fight soon near Knoxville.
Mr Cory is here yet and is not improving very fast. Sergeant Newl Conklin has started home on a furlough. He will call to see you, please treat him well for he has treated me very well every time he has met me. Dear Father I love for you to correct me in regard my spelling for I know that I am not as careful as I should possible be for I allways write in a hurry. It is late so I must close.
Write soon to your affectionate son
                                                                L. M. Beaver. Private
                                                                Co I, 15th Reg,
                                                                  Indiana Volunteer, Infantry
                                                          2nd Brigade, 2nd Division. 4th A,C
                                                         and clerk in Medical Purveyors Office
                                                              Chattanooga, Tennessee
P.S You wished the address of our former Chaplain. It is as followes. Direct your letters as usual but without the Regiment.
Rev. Even Stevenson
La, Fayette, Indiana
In care of H.J Sample, La, Fayette, Indiana

Good night.

2 comments:

virgil xenophon said...

Great reading as usual..

HMS Defiant said...

There's still a lot more but it is kind of interesting how prosaic so many of them are. The 15th Indiana were in an awful lot of battles and he was there for all of them but he is writing to the people on earth he is least interested in disturbing with the ugliest realities of that war.