April 1863

April 1863

April 18, 1863

Florence April 18^th 1863

Dear Cousin

Your letter of March the 5^th was eagerly read and welcomly received We were happy to hear that you were blest with life and health but regreted when you announced that your husband had gone in the army and left you alone but wishing that God may spare his life and return to your bosom I donot know how soon this my be my lot for my husband is liable to be drafted and did expected to be last September but this state furnished enough volunteers to avoid a draft but we can look for nothing else until there is peace. We have had some trouble with the indians last fall They were massacreing sixty miles from us Our whold neigborgood was very much alarmed

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the indian war is not over yet There will be another out brake this spring but the Minnesotal boys are waiting for them,

We all like our new home very well so far we bought one hundred and sixty acres of land and have lived on it one year. We have had a very mild winter and not enough snow to make good staying It rained three times last winter all the old settlers say they never saw it rain in the winter gere befor We leve seven miles from Lake City and three from Jacob Sandt Jacobs wife is dead she died a year ago last winter. I have a young son he will be a year old I may and his name is George. We have a very early spring every thing has started to grow the farmers are all busy putting out their crops I have been making some garden this week

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no more at present Write soon I give my best respects to you and all emymerging friends We are all well Wishing that all of you are enjoying the blessing

Margaret Terwillig

       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - This was a letter written by someone that took top marks in school for penmanship.   She took pride in both her writing and the tools she used to do so.

April 18, 1863

No 5

Murfreesboro Tenn Apr the 18^th

Dear Kat I sit down to answer your letter of the 10^th I was glad to learn that you and the children was well      I am well and I hope we may all continue to be blessed with the same blessing    I should have been happy to have been home with you and spent at last a few days with you and the children About this time and helped you make the garden I fear you have made the garden fence to close to the stable I did not intend it to run only to the hog pen If you build a hog pen just it far enough from the garden fence to leave an entry between it and the garden fence    Did you put the garden fence on three sides or ony two, I do not understand how Mr Harper gets such a large act against me     He paid me fifty dollars on that note and I either gave him a receipt or credited on the note and I then he borded the hands while they worked there since I came away I paid him for everything thing previous to the date of the note and I dont understand how he gets six hundred and forty dollars against me

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you can keep the note until I come home as for paying for any horse feed but my own I have prety much ____th I would like to move what it is that he has paid one hundred and thirty dollars in if he has not paid you any money there is some thing wront

Almarion Coddington got a letter either from homw or from Elmore One stating that he had sent his money to the Clinton Co treasurer and I supposed his mother had got it before this time get the money as soon as you can and get James Stubs note as soon as you can I received a letter from John Hachet a few days ago He is well and the rest of the boys except Daniel Craig He was not well We are still fortifying here and building maggazines and store houses I send my application for leave of absence today I will here from it in a few days if it is approved I will be home soon if not I can not tell when I shall be home but I will be home if I leive in side of six months someway or nother

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Please to tell me what you done with the hay I have asked the question before I supose you had forgot to say anything about it You will here from me in a few days again Good by for this time My respects to all have you ever colected the note on BL Whitaker and Etheal Beaman

Thorton Thompson

C Thompson

I send those reings you can give one of them to Eliza Ely and keep one yourself and give the small one to Alise I will make one for Forran and send in the next letter I could not make them very nice for I had no tools The shell got out of Stone River at the time of the fight

       Historical Notes;
     Draft - When it became clear the war would last far longer than first thought a Draft was the answer.   Each town filled out a Reserve Militia Roll each year and submitted it for Draft.   When each Draft was called for the State was given its quota, they in turned issued a quota to each county, then to each town.   If the quota was met through volunteers there would be no need for a draft in that county or town. 
       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - A fine pen point was used.   Some blums in the usual places.   Lines wander a bit.   But the letter is very readable.

1861 Reserve Militia Roll for Elgin, Ill.
Used with permission of the Elgin Area Hist. Soc.

April 20, 1863

No 1

Murfreesboro April the 20^th – 63

Dear Compainion I received your a few minutes ago I read it and sit down to answer it immedeatly I was glad to here that you are all well, I am well and I hope when you receive this you may all be still enjoying the same blessing Well I want you to by that land if you have to pay ($60) dollars per acre but get it as cheep as you can As for the note that james has you need not pay yet Pay it when you colect some of the debts that is coming to us at home and dont supose he is pushed for money You may pay fifty dollars on that note of George Histman which I gave to George Hitsman and pay Marer Melvan her money and twenty five dollars to Unkle James Hitsman and pay Johnathan some and the Ruth Emiry note and pay Mrs Bowman her money and if Mr Marsh comes up pay him one hundred dollars and the balance keep until I here from you again, as for Mr Harper act agains me me and him settled all bills up to the date of that note I supose he has a bord bill

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against me the bargin between me and him was two dollars per week and I supose he has done some halling, I want you to ask Johnithin if he made the partition door up stairs and if he made it out of my lumber and found the hinges and latch If he did the extra work on on the partition is ($60) dollars and the extra work on the one cupboard is five dollars making in all eleven dollars That has never been settled for I dont know what Mr Harper means about a mistake He was to pay me ($60) dollars for the job and the partition and the upper part of one cupboard is extra and he paid me perhaps what he says he did for all I now but there was some other dealings between us He got brick for a cistern and I got him a barrel of sement which was in the settlement and some lime I supose the settlement was corect if he pays you the note and for the extra work all right If not the labor will settle for us and I want it paid soon, tell

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Flora that I am glad to here that she is a good girl and all the rest are good children I want them all to good children and mind mother and be kind to one another as all good children are, There was a coffin acount agains Mr Mathews that I dont believe I ever charged you can see if it is not It is ten dollars as for Henry Hafer his act agains me is ($20) dollars and mine agains him is $28 dollars The act agains him for the last wife coffin and the coffin Garver his last wife soninlaw gave his note for and I dont supose we will get anything unles they are a mind to pay it I dont supose either one of them is worth any thing but if you can get anything all right I will send you a statement of the actounts I supose you might as well let Henry Shafer go for he would deny as like as the money I paid him and I do not now as we could prove it The ought to have an act against me for some lumber which amounts to $14.47 I paid him or St John did for me $5.00 and I paid John Teacoch &9.00 making

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$14.00 then I have a coffin bill agains him which is $14.00 making ($28) dollars Then he halled me three cords of wood or Mr Foght and James did and thy halled one thousand brick from Rochester at one dollar per thousand The wood was $1.50 per cord This would make his act twenty dollars leaving a balance in my favor of eight dollars This is just the way the act stands      If James Shafer will take those act that is the note on Garver and the eight dollars on the old man he can have them for half what they called for    We are making strong fortifications here and when completed the whole reble force cant take it against 20000 of our men It will take some time to finish them Perhaps two months but we can use them now to a very good advantage I had an order I gave you on St John Docket for five dollars the execution was in favor of Thacker and against Henry Anderson I want to now if ou ever got it and there was three dollars coming from George Rowman for some timather seed

       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - A good pen was used.   Heavy dark ink caused enough bleed through to make it hard to read in places.
     There was no closing and that is unusual for him.   It is possible there was a second sheet for this letter that has been lost over the years, or maybe he just ran out of room before he realised he had no more room.

April 25, 1863

Murfreesboro   Apr the 25th - 61

Dear Kate   I received your letter of the 17th to day and procede to answer it immedeatly   I am glad to here that you are all well   I am well and I hope that we may all be still blessed with that one blessing which I consider one of the greatest of blessings   I am still at the same place and employed at the same work   I have been thinking of going back to the regiment but dont now when I shall go   I saw Sigmond Morsback yesterday   He came to sa me   I was glad to see him look so well   He is assisting in the comisary at this time   I saw A Doughman a few days ago   He is well and looks well and is a good soldier   His Capt told me that he stood right up to works in the fight   John Walter is well and all the rest of the boys that is in the 74th from our place   Their is still some fighting going on along our lines the rebs gets whiped all the time   I am in hopes this will be active movement in all our armies soon if they are ready but I dont want to here of another move at any point until our forces are amply ready for it   Is my opinion that has been the cause of several defeats to our army, and I am satisfied that Old Rosey will be ready for them when he goes and he will whip them sure for he has the men that can
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do it it will take two months to finish the fortifications here and I dont now but I shall stay here until they are completed   I have easy work here we have nothging to do but to superentend hands 8 hours a day   No guard duty to do nor no picket duty to day the wether is very fine here   The sun is quite warm in the middle of the day but the nights are quite cool and we can sleep under two blankets very comfortable, I supose from indications theior will be a standing army kept here for years   We have got one standing one steam saw mill running and another ost ready to run   It would pay anyone to come here the plan when we get it fixed up right   I dont supose that there is a stronger inland fortification in the world   I supose there is ten thousand men at work on them every day, every thing is very high here   I supose about three times as high as they are at home for my part I dont by much only what I get of Unkle Sam, he dont sell as high as the rest of them, the soldiers are better satisfied here than anyplace   I have evr been you dont here them sighing about getting home   Their is more of them   Some sick all apear to be satisfied to fight the rebelion to the end and want no comprimise only that the rebels shall lay down their arms and submit to the laws of the land   For my part I would rather fight twenty years than have a comprimise tomorow   That would show the least sign that this government can not sustain itself
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by the force of arms that is if my health Page is dogeared here, some text is missing the trees are leafing out here and when there is groves of timber   We will soon have nice shade but we are cuting all the timber down around here   I think the rebels that has left here will be lost when the return for it dont look like the same place   I supose we have cut and cleared a hundred acres of good timber almost every tree and used them for building forts   The people here are taking the oth very fast   I supopse they average six hundred a day at Nashville   There is a great many refugees here they work on the fortifications and draw rations the same as soldiers, their is a grate many contrabands here doing fatigue duty   Very stout able looking fellows they are, I think the sick is well taken care of here as a general thing   Their is a great many northern ladies here engaged as nurses in the hospitals   We have a field hospital here that has I supose three thousand convalesant patients in it is located in a very desirable place, and I visited it this forenoon and was much pleased to see the patients so comfortabley taken care of   There is about 20 acres of ground planted in all kinds of vegitables which is tended by contrabands and they are still ploughing more   This is all the farming I have seen done this season with one exception   I see some negros planting corn the other day   They was planting a field which was in cotton last season, the way they plant corn on an old cotton field   They take a shovel plow and cross it out with out plowing it
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I asked them if they epected to rase any corn that way, oh yes sir dis will be one of the finest fields of corn in the whole country   I supose this is a specimin of Tennsee Negro farming I thought to myself   If they could rase good corn that way what could some of our Ohio farmers rase by ploughing the ground and and tending the corn as they do in Ohio   I think this state would be a good place to rase grain of all kinds   All it wants is free labor   Soke part of the ground is very rocky   I have seen perhaps 20 acres that was covred with high rocks this place is generaly covered with cedar groves just as thick as they can stand   Such places as these made excelant cover for the rebbels in the fightr   They would get in theas thickets and our men would have to charge on them and drive   Our force drove them for miles though, throw thickets and it is a wonder they didnt whip us for they had the larger force and the advantage of ground, all the time,   I went and found where Madison Folger was buried   What have they done with his properety and what has become of his daughter,   I supose we will get paid again soon   I am a going to try to come home then and I think I can get furlow for tren days and if I can I will come   I think I shall get the regiment soon if I dont go to stay, who has the post office now   Is Jimy Kendy stile at Butlerville or has she gone home   If you havent got he herse painted yet you had better have it done and get the wagon painted too and I expect the wagon wants now triming   If you havent had it trimed since I came away I would like to how if the grass stood with you you must get some one to dib around the fruit trees in the yard   Dig around 18 in from the trees in a cicle and be careful they dont cut the roots and have some manure whuled and throw around the roots of the trees   I would like to now if Jonathan has plenty of lumber for coffins   If not tell him to get some and not to by any thing but no 1 stuff   No more for this time   I got a letter from Mr Marsh on last Monday and answered it imediatly   Give my respects to one and all as for that note of Harpers keep it or sell it as you pleas   If he comes to settle again their is nothing coming to him only fifty dollars and the border of the pastur and carpenters while there was finishing without and perhaps he done some halling after I came awa   Sell the note if you can the face of it
       Historical Notes;
     Contrabands - Before the U.S. Government allowed the confiscation of slaves the army couldn't do much to either help them in place or do anything about the growing train of runaway slaves that followed behind the army.   So cutting the 'Gordinian Knot' they declared them to be 'Spoils of War' and they were classed as Contraband.  
       My Thoughts
     Letter Condition - Pen and ink seem to be of good quality.   However the letter is very cramped with most of page 4 written so tiny is it hard to make out.   The envelope is Addressed Mrs. T Thompson, Butlerville, Warren Co., Ohio.   Postmarked April 28 at Nashville, Tenn.   Stamp is in the upper righthand cornier.

April 29, 1863

Murfreesboro Apir the 29^th – 63

Deare Companion

Day              I received your letter to day and was glad to here you was all well again I wrote you a letter a few days ago which I supose you have read before this time I was sorry to here that other and William was unwell but hope they will soon recover their health again I shall not write a very legthy letter this time as there is not anything new transpired since my last letter I will neorly answer the question you desire Mrs Randels Covvin is paid for, I had to study soe time before I could think wha you ment You spoke about Mrs Conklin paying the intrest on her note I wrote in my last letter to you something respecting the note I think it may be that it was in the letter that I wrote G. W. Kitsman which I wrote the same day I Gerge wrote to me respecting the intrest I told him that he might arage that matter with Mrs Conklin as she is the one that is interested about the principale I will write you hereafter ih regard to the payment of the note if

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if Mrs Conklin should pay the note which I hold against her you pay George the interest as soon as you have the money to spare We muster for pay tomorrow and I think I will receive pay again in a few days and I will send or fetch it home soon, if I am promoted which you may say John said Dunlavey said so I expect it is so I have not been notified of it yet but if it is so I will return to my regiment soon as I am notified of it so if I should receive pay I shall not express it until I get to Gallatin and it will not be long before I am their if I am promoted and then I will try hard to come home a short time, I wrote I wrote Andrew a letter last week I have hot writen to him since I left home nor have I received any letter from him I also wrote to John Hacket as for the ring business igt is very near played out for I have no tools and it takes me some time to make one but I will make two or three more and send home It looks like a very small buisness here although some of the soldiers makes a good deal of money at it They sell such rings as I sent home for one dollar and can sell all that they can make at that just because the shells come out of Stone River

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get the money from on those old ackounts fast as you an I think we had better pay Horsback sixty dollars per acre for his land I would like very much to have it and I think land will get higher I think that we can pay for it soon and all the other debts that I owe if you can get the money and can, buy it if you think best I would by it if I was there at that price but as I am here and you have the control of things at home I leave it to you, how does Mr and Mrs Bishop get along I am in hopes that their domestic difficulties are less formatable than when I left home I should be pleased to here of this Tell Mr. and Mrs Houch that I congratulate them very heartly upon the advenct of their soldier I would not be surprised if the net letter I write would be from Gallatin I wont write again until I here from you unless someting of inportants happens, no more at this time but remain your effectonate husband

Thortonb Thompson

       My Thoughts

     Letter Condition - Letter seems to be written with good pen and ink, however there is quite a bit of bleed through making it hard to read in places.