Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/whitworth-herbert/
Regiment: 1st Michigan Engineers
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: Abraham Lincoln, George B. McClellan
Oct 16th 1864
My Dr Son I expect you will begin
to think it longer than usal ere you receive
a letter from home but dont think that we
forget you we receive yours with pleasure & though
of you every day but as I was from home
I thought of we waited till she came home
we might have something a little more
interesting to write but she is out still so
I concluded I must defer no longer she went
to
[ ? ] at Hydes & Swifts & other places a week
& Mrs. Hyde sent her up in the Buggy with
a request to stop a week longer as her hands
was so bad I granted it very reluctantly &
had I know that E had been coming so soon
I should not have let her gone Back again
for I am not much better for Girl for she
seems to be away from home all the time
the Dr Boys as got all the Patches alone
& carried as much 26 Bushels into the
Celler on their backs for Father was at
Brownswell helping to thrash clover seed
& we have not team I carried ten pails
full for them & next day had a hard
day at cleaning I was completely used
up as bad as if I had been pounded I tell
him they should not do it again for they
would lay on big loads & they was good
for nothing after it they have turned
out far nicer then you would expect for
the season we have about 60 bushels I
presume enough for ourselves if they
keep good till spring I am proud of them
they are larger then those we had last year
& it is a Blessing to be well proved for in
that expect the corn turns out pretty bad
in some places in the Hollow ours is fine
but upon the hills its very small they have
not done husking yet so I cant say what
we shall have but not much I suppose &
very few pumpkins & that bad for us &
the old cow begins to fail she must be
[ ? ] another fall she will not be profitable
for a milker any longer tho I shall be sorry
to part with her They have been after
Father for some more money to help Brig
[ ? ] hall to get a subtitute but he told them
as he neither could nor would do it for he
had not another Dol to spare he as had & so
to raise they colected him too & 2 the town
gave the other to be as had to raise himself
I would have gone before I would have paid
all that they pleaded his Parents then why
not throw him out his Father is not so
inform but he could have raised his
[ ? ]
of that Farm till he came back & hes wages
would have kept his wife & child the old
man gave $10 because he was going with
Rob I dont think him very smart he as
second his wages up 3/8 short they have had
a good deal to colect it came to 36 they have
brought her 33 I tell Father she will never
get it he says he will look after it she as
had little enough any way but I do think
him a poor
[ ? ] he as given is place
up & I think it is time he did You
want to know how the
[ ? ] feels
at home the republicans is for
Lincon the cest for Mac but I fear we
have so many
[ ? ] in the field that it
will be a detriment to us for you know
We have the rascals at home our best
men is on the field Poor Mrs Upson
is still upon her crutches & myron Janes
two it is a hard case for her I have not
seen her yet but must go it seems strange
for that young boy to be so troble with it at his
ages Janes as truly been afflicted but one
child out of 6 as escape Frances mind. very
slowly but I pray they may all be
[ ? ] before
the winter sets in I will send you a paper with
this letter for it will give you the conference
appointments we have not seen ours yet
but heard he will preach at Laphamvill this
evening may the Lord be with him & may
we be Blest with a gracious revival for we need
it I have heard nothing from my poor Boy my
heart is very sad but I try to trust in the Lord
& lay my Burden on his shoulders I hope to hear
a better account of you soon if it be as Blessed
will our kind Love & good & many prayers
for you wellfare & may
the Blessings of Good be on you & all you under take is the earnest
prayer of your ever afft Mother
[Piece of fabric and ribbon]
