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Regiment: 11th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
January 10th 1864
Brady Sunday Morning
Dear Friend Henry.
I recieved your letter yesterday. and it was indeed a
welcome visitant. We are all well at present. You said
it was very cold there but Henry if it is as cold there as it is here my heart aches for you.
All of our oldest settlers say that they never knew it to be
as cold in Michigan as it was the first and second days of
this month. There were a great many Cattle, Sheep, and Hogs
frozen to death, besids a number of Persons. It was so very
cold that I did not keep school or go home either, but re-
mained with Grand Mother Worthington listning to her inter-
esting storys of gay Old England. But to day I am at home,
seated in a warm comfortable room. (the room in which I saw
the Soldier for the last time) waiting for company, for we
are expecting Lydia. and Spencer Burlingame here to day.
They came to Brady last Thursday. and we were all down to
Daves last night, I have received the Magazine which you were
so kind as to send me, I thank you for it Henry, It is very
interesting. And now my Friend pleas let me write a few words
to you which you may find valuable to you, in the many temp-
tations which geather around you. Henry I would not write
to you in this manner, if I thought your Mother would write.
all that she should write to you, but I am afraid she has not
time to write all she would wish to, so do not be angry with
me for writing what she would write if she had the time. To
become what a fond friends wishes you to become remember these
precepts (from the pen of one who can have no motive but your
welfare and happiness.) such precepts as the mother of John
Adams wrote to him when he was in foreign Countries. And
though the advise may not be new yet I beg you to suffer it
to obtain a place in your memory. first Allow me to recom-
mend to you one of the most useful lessons of life. “The
study and knowledge of yourself.” There you run the greatest
hazard of being deceived. Passions are the elements of life,
but they are elements which should be made subject to the
control of reason. Whoever will candidly examine themselves
will find some degree of passion, (peevishness of obstinacy)
in their natural tempers. And you Henry are formed with a
constitution feelingly alive, your passions are strong and
impetuous. The government of the passions has been considered
in all ages as a most valuable acquisition. Hence an inspired
writer observes “He that is slow to anger is better than the
mighty and he that ruleth his own spirit better than he that
taketh a city” Behold your own country your native land
suffering from the affects of lawless power and malignant
passions, and learn from your own experience to govern and
control your self. I write to you particularly on the pas-
sion of anger, as it is generally the most predominant passion
at your age, the soonest excited, and the least pains taken
to subdue it. Having once gained this self government, you
will find a foundation lair for happiness to yourself and
usefulness to mankind. “Virtue alone is happiness below.”
Moral goodness consists in cultivating and improving evry good
quality and in checking and subduing evry evil propensity.
Henry you have arrived at years capable of improving under the
advantages which you are likely to have, if you do but pro-
perly attend to them. There are talents put into your hands
of which an account will be required of you here after, and being
possessed of such talents see to it, that you double to num-
ber. You are in possession of a natural good understanding,
and of spirits unbroken by adversity, and untamed with care.
Seek to improve your understanding by acquiring useful know-
ledge, and virtue, such as will render you an ornament to
society, an honor to your Country, and a blessing to your
friends. Great learning, and superior abilities, should you
possess them will be of little value and snall estimation,
unless virtue, honor, and integrity, be added to them. Dear
friend let me impress upon your mind this cirtain truth.
“The welfare and prosperity of all countries communities,
and I may add individuals depend upon their morals.” My hopes
are that you will not swerve from the dictates of truth.
but add justice, fortitude, and evry manly virtue, which can
adorn a good citizen, and do honor to your country. Justice,
humanity and benevolence, are the duties you owe to society
in general. To your country the same duties are encumbent
upon you with the additional obligation of sacrificing ease,
pleasure, wealth, and life its self for its defense. Henry
I have down my best to point out to you, the duties of life
which are yet for you to preform. And Henry allow me to say
your friends are not expecting to too much when they expect
you to preform all those duties. you can preform them, for
nothing is wanting on your part but attention, diligence and
steady application. For nature has not been deficient. I
will send you the Journal as I think it will be a great help
to you. And I beg of you to give it your whole attention,
for it is designed to cultivate, refine and elevate the in-
tellect. I also send you those seeds you spoke of and I
thank you very very much for those sprigs which you geathered
in the Lexington Cemetery for me, I think you must have
remembered that I was fond of such memorials of the dead,
I should like to have stood by your side when you were
gazing on the monument of that illustrous states man, and
to have helped you enumerate his many virtues and bid you go
and do likewise. Write very soon. I remain (as ever) your
best friend.
Mary Harper.
Henry this may be the last that I shall write you on this
subject. Lydia wants me to tell you that she has not for-
gotten you and she wonders if you remember her
