MS 997 - Sarah V. Elder Dicken Papers Transcripts (April - June 1862)
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| Title | MS 997 - Sarah V. Elder Dicken Papers Transcripts (April - June 1862) |
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April 7, 1862Romney Hampshire Co. Va. Miss Sarah I received your letter some time since but neglected answering it But an old proverb says it is never too late and thus my excuse. I am enjoying excellent health at this time and have been ever since. We left Grafton on Monday Mar 31st and after being delayed three hours by a railroad. we arrived in Green Spring Run 16 miles below Cumberland Md - on tuesday we pitched our tents and stayed two days when we were ordered to Romney - we struck our tents on thursday morning and started for Romney - We marched as far as Springfield - and there we joined two sections of the tenth battery of the first Ohio artillery - also one company of Anisansel's cavalry We encamped there until Sunday morning - when we made another start for Romney - which place we reached by 11 A.M. We are quartered in vacant houses of which there are many - probably enough to accommodate three regt's - We are now just getting into seceshdom - When I walk throwgh the streets of Romney and view the desolation and destruction it reminds me of instances I have read of in ancient history The town is almost depopulated with the exception of soldiery, three fourths of the buildings are almost destroyed - in short it is any thing but a pleasant place to live in. the place presents a military appearance in whatever direction one may chance to look. the commanding the roads leading in every direction are fortified but they are not very strong - The citizens say they were constructed by Gen'l. Kelley - they also say the rebel occupied them - They also say that Jackson never had over six thousand men - No more this time Co
Goshen April 10th 1862 Dear Sally Yours of 26th was recd and perused with pleasure for it reminded me that I still retained even a small corner in your thoughts for Sally it is sweet to be remembered. it is pleasant to think of old schoolmates and feel that they think kindly of you some times espechly when one feels lonely as I often do feel as though you had not a friend in this cold world as I was feeling when I received your letter it is when sutch thoughts present themselves that we wish to be rembered. it brought up old remembrances it made me think of olden times when I was young and happy (You know I am so old) it made me for a time forget the dull presant and live in the past NO Sally I have not forgot the winter we went to school to Mr Yates nor I never will for then I was young and had not tasted of the cup of sorrow nor dreamed of trouble in any form. I thought only of the future an with it I saw only sunshine and gladness. I was full of hope and as our happiness depend upon our hopes I was happy but Alass I like all other ering mortals was doomed to sip deeply at the cup of sorrow, but enough of this or I weary you. I am at home now and have bin for the past four weeks. I Attended school at salem this winter Hannah James and I. I enjoyed the winter very mutch. I like the school very well but not as well as the Mt Union school. we had about 80 pupils in our department they were mostly young schollars and not very far advanced, They have built a new school house since you were there it is a very nice building it is there we went to school. I also attended school at Mt Union a year ago last fall that is all I have bin at school since you left. I do not know weather I learned mutch either place or not. I love company too well. I give more though to company than I do to my lessons. I wish it were not so but it is among the things that are and cannot be helped. I make dreadful resolutions to become more studious but they are only as a leaf to be blown away by the next blast. you wish to know what I think of the war my opion is very mutch the same as yours. I think it a dreadfull thing my sympathies are with the noble men that have left there homes and friends to go and fight for their country my hatred for those who brought it about. many are the homes that are made lonely many are the hearts that ache this winter for the absent dear ones who have obeyed their countrys call. a great many of our goshen boys have gone your old aqaintances. too of my brothers have gone Thodore and Lewis. They are in Kansas Fort Scot and are seeing pretty hard times they have nothing to eat but rotten pork and wormy crackers and the report is they have not enough of that. they have seen no active services as yet but are very anchious to be doing something besides laying at camp. the last news is they were ordered to Arkansas to meet Carter but weather they have gone we have not heard. they may have gone to Mexico but I hope not I would rather they would gone south then out on the fronthiers. But Sally I wish you were were here so I could talk with you. When do you expect to come to goshen again? it would afford us Goshen folks mutch pleasure to have you with us again. But you would not find goshen quite as you lift it some of the folks are married and some have gone to war but still I think goshen a pleasant place after all. But I shall have to quit writing and attend to my domestic affairs. I am stilll houskeeper yet and always expect to be. Mother health is poor yet but I think her rather better the past year things are at our house withe the exception of the absent about as they were when you we here. I see no change. I do not know any news to tell you I have not seen any boddy to hear any. Only the girls are all preparing for the county examination in great fear about their certificates and so fourth. you wished me to give you the boys Address it is Fort Leavenworth kansas 2nd Ohio Cavelry Company E in the care of Captain Hall letters directed there will be forwarded to them where ever they are. write to me again and often I will always be happy to hear from you I will be at home this summer and very lonesome so a line from you will be very welcome give my love to your mother and Em tell Em that Leittle Joe is fat and fine and his hed is as red as ever. no more Goodbye your Friend Mary Campbell
Sunday Night April 20th 1862 Dear Cousin Sade I received you kind favour one weeke ago & if you knew the plasour it affored me you would feele amply rewared, for I sumtime feele as thow I was forgoten by all my Ohio Friendes, but Sade, a true friend is hard to find & I think I had but fiew in Ohio, I hav writen, to Bill and several of W Johns famley but hav never received eny from them since my visit out thare, I was not at home when your letter came to hand, I reached home a fiew days ago I had bin away from home six weekes, with a drove of Sheepe & Cattle, Drove from Pitt'g to Baltimore, I spen one weeke in Baltimore got to see Aunt Mary Cessna & Ceal Crampton, thay are boath widowes, & are getting alond fine she is keepeing boading house, She has three Daughteres the oaldes is 17 yeares thay are smart & prity, sing & play varey well Cousin I am sorey to say that I feere that I will fale to write eny thing that will interest you for this has bin a long a dreary rainey day, & as you are aware that I youest to be subject to spelles of what I called harrowes, I hav had a severe attacked all day. I hav a nice home, yet I hav none for It has never seame so to me since the Death of Mother, Will & I are still farming we hav the same Girle that lived with theme several years ago, I am not prospering varey fast that is in the way of making money I think I shall go to Baltimore or Lancaster with sum horses sune & then will quit Droveing for a while I would dearley love to see you all, and hope I shall meete you all sumtime. Tell Mother to take this work easey for I know she is makeing a big effort to make money. I expect to vicit you all if nothing happens in corse of a year or suner Brother Jonathan came home last nigh he is going to spend too weekes with us and then return to Colage again, he said I should give you his neve dying regarde his love to one & all, Rache often talkes of you all and sais she would dearley love to see you. she is fretting herself to Death about poor Lilly, I was to see her the outher day She cried and said she would neve be happy in this world again, Cousin I am proud to think that I hav not bin forgoten by you all, as regardes to my miniature I hav none at this time but you shall hav it as sune as I hav an opertunity of getting it. [missing pages]
Camp Shiloh My dear friend Sadie it is with the gratest of pleasure that I take this pesent opertunity answer your moste hearty wealcomed leter that I Juste recieved a few minuts a gow. I was glad too hear that you wa well & all of the wreste of my friends of that plase. I am well at this time and all of the wreste of us is in joying good health at this time I have not got a great deel too write at this time for I gess that you have all the particulars a bout this Batle that we had here a few days a go. I see that you had a few words about it and I gess that when you get this leter you will lok for a Big leter A Big leter from me is what I can not write all though I Shal tri too write a little Juste for a change sow that you may know that I & Jesse is all write yet. on the wore question all though we heard the whistling of the rebels grape & shel & canester & Shot & killing & wounding on all sids of us and all we could doo would too lode and shoot at them. the Batle lasted 2 days & we that is I mean the old 49th reg was in the Batle onley a bout 3 hours & a half I did knot think that we was in it more than and hour all though I thought it was long a plenty then the rebels fled leaving all behind guns and there Dead & wounded laing on the ground and in the mud in great pils. the number of killed I do not know nor kare less I cannot tell all though it is a great maney on Bothe side that is sow. I think that it is knot wearth while too write any more for there is a great deel of newe that I Can not tell when I do write the trooth then I think that this wore will knot laste a greate while longer for the worde is that the wounde that Jeneral Buriguard got at the fight that we had with him has caused his death Booly for the wound & old Jef is taken prisner if this is all sow I think that there will be a fite for us too get home prety soon \r & all though I can not tell all though talk is talk But it takes more money too Buy land. O yes you bet that if I wanted any wore newes I should calle on you. These war leters is juste what I wanted too hear for we do knot get the newes for sow long after the fight that it is knot worthe the reading all though it is [---] at laste. the Boys all feel prety wel for they think that they would get too come home be four long all though I do knot think that I will get too See you untill a bout the firste of July all though I hope that you will sooner than that. god onley knows. this is all from your Obedient friend JH Dicken Direct the same way before too Miss Sade VE write soon as this comes too hand. this is writen in a hury But I think that you can not read it. this when this see think of A friend in Tennessee good Buy
Camp near Mooresvill Alabama Dear Brother With great pleasure I seat myself to answer your kind letter which I received today your letter bearing date June the 8th and I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you were getting along very well. I got a letter from Father the other day and I have had no time to answer. Here at camp I have to go on guard or patrol every other day therefore I did not write but as soon as we get moved over to Decatur again I will write to him. But that will be tomorrow. The first Batt. is with us now and I am glad of if for we will have easier times now. Well that is all that stuff, now something about the weather. Well the weather as it is so called is pretty warm at the present time it is warmer than I like any how. You said that I ought to been there to see the Black Swampers sit around. Well it is true I would like to be there a while just a little while to see them Swamper spread them selves. I will tell you about how the corn looks down here. Well the corn is waist high and it look nice if they undertake to put one --- field out they wouldhave to put out from one hundred to two hundred acres in one field. Well wheat harvest is about at hand down here. I have seen some of the nicest kind of wheat about eight miles from here. Well that is all of that. Our Batt. went out a scouting last night on the other side of the River and they captured one of old Randy, picket post there was one of the Rebs wounded. They put our Rebs in the guard house at Decatur I was on patrol about ten miles up the River and I did not get to see the fun bu I think that there will be some more fun in a few days for the old ninth will try them again. The one hundred day men is acquainting Decatur I understand but I have not seen any of them yet. Well I Josh as for the war news it is not necessary for me to say anything about for you get the news before we do therefore I will wind that story up. Will I can think of nothing more of importance to write too you. I am well and hearty as a buck and I hope that these few lines will find you and the rest of the folks all right. I will close by saying to you write soon. Oh yes, Josh, them stamps that you sent me was right. From your Brother, [sideways on back] Co.K 3d Batt. |