Timothy Skidmore 1803

May 25, 1803. A letter from Timothy Skidmore to "Mother" informing her that he has received payment from "Docter Sammuel Thompson" and wants to settle a financial matter involving a deed.

Bid on this Item

1864 Civil War Letter Horace Holton

1864 Civil War Letter written by a Mississippi Riverboat Captain relating to work on the river with his Sidewheeler - the "Polar Star". The letter is dated December 2nd, 1864 from St. Louis, Missouri and written to Horace Holton's cousin George at Charlestown, New Hampshire.
The Letter reads in part: "Dear Coz George, /I think you owe me one but I will overlook it. I have had a gay old time since I wrote you. been 9days, most all long ones on a sand bar in the middle of the "big Muddy" only 40 miles below the City. I loaded my Polar Star for Duval Bluffs, Ak and started with an old hull in tow for Cairo on the 19th of Nov. and when 20 miles down struck a bar & snapped all my tow lines like pack thread. The boat wiggled off without difficulty & I caught the hull before she grounded & again we went on our way rejoicing. About 40 miles below at Herculaneum bar we grounded again and our hull floated 4 miles down the river & lodged on a sand bar... It took me 3 days to get the boat off and 6 days to get the hull off and then the water had fallen so much I had to leave it and 1105 sks (sacks?) of oats & sending the other boat along, come back to get another boat to tow the hull and take the oat along. Total loss by detention $4,000... This is some of the beauties of Steamboating, How would you like it when you come out West to see me, I will take you down the river, if I own a boat then, and let you see for yourself.... / Yours, (signed)H. H.".

Samuel Swett, Poland, Maine, 1796

Letter from Samuel Swett, a merchant, dated Poland, Maine, May 22, 1796, to Robert Boyd, a Portland, Maine wholesaler or importer. Swett is ordering brandy, rum, "good tea", cider and more.

This old letter from Samuel Swett is for sale on Ebay Item number: 200211010501.

John Burgess & Edward Rutledge Letter

The letter begins :This indenture made the fifteenth day December one thousand eight hundred twelve Whitnesses John Burgess & Edward Rutledge tow of the overseers of the ( ) of ( ) County hath put Ann a free girl of colour apprentice to John Burgess of the ( ) County him faithfully to serve from the day of date hereof until she come to the age of eighteen or seven years & three months All which ( ) she shares her Master faithfully serve his secrets keep & his lawful commands obey She shall not waste his goods nor see it done by others without giving notice Thereof she shall not buy sell nor lend his goods She shall not contract matrimony ( ) ( ) At cards dice or any unlawful game shall not play whereby her Master may be charged

She shall not absent herself day or night from her Masters Service without his leave but in all things behave as a faithful apprentice ought to do and the said Master shall use his utmost endevors to teach or cause her to be taught and instructed in the ( ) of housewifery and ( ) and provide for her the apprentice sufficient drink washing lodging and apparel fitting for an apprentice during term and have her taught ( ) (several words marked through) and at the expiration of her servitude to give her one suit of clothes ( ) and for the ( ) performance of these comments and agreements either of the parties themselves unto the other by these presents In whitness thereof we have here unto set our hands & seals in the day and the year above whitness.

This old letter Item number: 160200091887 is for sale on Ebay.

J B F Russell, General Land Agency, Chicago, Feb. 24, 1842

Letter signed of J B F Russell, General Land Agency, Chicago, Feb. 24, 1842, with integral printed broadside, circular, 8" x 10", dated June 1, 1840, for his land agency business. It was postally sent to Joseph Roby Esq., Brockport, NY (forwarded to NYC). The letter contains information on paying taxes on Roby's land in Will and Cook Cos. "My sole business is in attending to the interest of non-resident land holders - and all such as are intrusted to my care will always be attended to promptly."

The printed portion gives information on Russell's land agency noting that he will pay taxes on Illinois, Wisonsan [sic] and Michigan land for residents and non-residents, in addition to title work and related business. The bottom contains a lists of (31) references, including military officers.

This letter is for sale on Ebay, Item number: 170180592924.

Elmira Prison Letter 1864

Civil War Elmira NYV Prison Guard Letter Jan 9 1864 Item number: 320185669996

Civil War Soldiers Letter from Jacob Larben (or Larfen) of the NYV Prison Regiment to his brother John. Jacob was a Guard at Elmira Prison. The letter is dated January 9, 1864. The three paragraphs are divided into a rathre formal greeting and take my pen in hand kind of relationship. He looks forward to the war ending in the Spring and states that Father Lincoln is attempting to bring to a close this terrible occasion. Do not fear. The Union will win and the Sessionist will repent. The second paragraph gives a few details about Prison Camp duty: it reads as written: Prison duty thu it be safe is much harder on the spirit than would be the wizzing of shell and ball. The rebels here are a sad lot, wounds and disease take many and our provost are less than gentel when dealing with them.

This great old Elmira Prison Letter is for sale on Ebay.

1806 Letter, Burlington Vermont

1806 Letter Burlington Vermont Item number: 300171869686


Dr Brother:

We arrived safe at home a few days a ago - I sipt (sic)at Middlebury several days, in order to affect something with regard to Banks -

When I got there - they had a bill before the house for a State Bank.
This Bill was brought forward by the opposition to the Banking interest and was carried one branch for this place, and another at Woodstock, before it passed the (worried (?) some of our friends left the house and they took that opportunity to propose an amendment and have one branch at Middlebury which was carried

- however we were glad to get rid of it the bill being one of the most inconsistent things ever brought before any Legislation

- It anticipates no capital as only five hundred dollars is appropriated to put it in ---and when the bills are issued if the State pleases they will pay them otherwise they will not as the State is not suitable and of course the holders of bills must loose them if they are not disposed to pay them

- When I get my business arranged I shall set for Boston / It will be uncertain whether I will come your way or not - If I should be in haste it will be better for me to go down the north turnpike....
...M Jewett."

1903 Kansas City, Missouri Letter

1903 Kansas City, Missouri Letter Item number: 200172634566

A personal letter by the Clerk of the Criminal court addressed to “My old friend Billie… you stick so close to Pony, [Missouri] now, don’t think that I don’t like Pony, and Pony people, infact I have wanted to come back to Pony ever since I left… why don’t you come to Butte once in a year, and call a fellow up and have a few more ‘bunches of rye’ together. One cant get lonsmn out here for there is an missalaneous croud dropping in here … as any Bohemian quarter in Paris.“ He then writes about his brother in law taking a “trip down the Mazoo” which will be a failure as “money making scheme.” “I will spend the late fall and all of winter in Southern California, Utah & New Mexico…I have seen some very bum prize fights… there has only been two good ones.” Etc… Signed “Chas Renick”.

This great Kansas City, Missouri letter is for sale on Ebay. If you would like to place a bid just follow one of the links to Ebay on this page.

Spanish & Philippine American War Letter

Spanish & Philippine American War letter Item number: 160176735028

Bayambang, PI Company I, 17th Infantry April 19th, 1900

Mrs. E. C. Bates,
My dear sister,
Mr. Bates letter came a few days ago. I was glad to hear from you all. Glad to hear that you were improving and hope you will get completely well again. We thought we would get to come home this summer but the way things look now, we will be here at least another year. We’re having more men killed on this island now at the present this than any time since. We have been here ?? to your face is mucho mego. That means “your friend” and where they get behind your back. They would cut your throat. They captured three men on the 29th just not long ago. Then they tied them to a stake and burned them alive and then drug them through the town and then cut their head off with bolows and such things is that are happening every day.



Looking up and the ?? has formed small bands of 25-50 bolow men and they rob all the natives and kill all the soldiers they catch away from their command. So you see you can’t ??? at all. We thought after we broke up all the large bands of ?? that the army would be reduced and some of the troops would get to go to the states. But I don’t think many of them would be sent back before another year. Our ball of the 14th infantry has gone back to the states. The ball of the 18th and 20th infantry will go home in May. We have been one year and one month, nine days and I think we will be another year. While I can’t stand it if it’s like the rainy season that was the course of all the cause of men’s death. Five companies of us of some regiment had quite a scrap in the 8th of this month on Sunday. We left here at 1pm on the 5th of this month and marched all night that night without any supper and went to camp at 6 o’clock and stayed like that til night and started out on the 7th and went to camp that eve at 5 o’clock. Got up the next morn at 3 o’clock to march to the mountains about four miles where we stayed at night and got our position by daylight. And I wished you and Mr. Bates could have seen the mountains. We have had the fight. General McAbolous was on that mountain with a squadron men well entrenched. Against us, took out mountain in tenn. ?? Is not in it well over our company was to attract the enemy and I trust Bradford gave me orders to take my squad of 7 men and take in and over guard in front of the hill where the enemy was are the rest of the company went out as flankes on both sides. A company was sent out on the left flank. Me and L company was sent out under command of Lt. Col. Rober. On the extreme right to get in the rear of the enemy. They had to march (8) mile over the mountain to come behind the enemy. While company D and the scouts come up the ravine on the right flank and we had the front where company A got all on the mountains on the left flank. The ladrous went up, then A company captured our post and burned the stalk ?? thin into the main body. When company A got around all the main body, we opened up from the front. The scouts got in from the rear they didn’t know what to do. But they retreated as far as they could. If A company had waited 30 minutes longer before they flanked them, and the scouts to get behind them, we would have demolished all of them. We kill about 20, wounded a good many and captured about 18 prisoners. Nothing will ever go down in records as driving General McAbolous and General Antoinio Montenegro out of there positions and if we had there positions, all the troops on the island couldn’t have driven us out but they didn’t have the nerve to stand. We had our officeIf they had stayed in their position, they would have killed all of us very freely. The reason they left their position, they thought we had them surrounded.Our officer wounded through both thighs; 1st Lt. Morrow of company D. He is getting along very well. I will send you a map of the hill in this letter.



General Montenegro surrendered to me and my squad on our port on the 9th day after the fight. I will send you this paper when get it. I have the paper now that the piece about the infantry but it can’t come and want to send it. I will wait until get the right one. Will jaru is better really now than those. Health now is poor for some time. Weight 180 lbs. yesterday. Please tell Mr. Bates to tell Mr. Clay that I haven’t been able to hear from Dr. Lester in Manilla at the 3rd hospital yet. I wrote to him but haven’t received any answer. He will be your back to the states. He is only a contract doctor and as you hear from him, I will answer his letter. And tell Mr. Bates to give the members of company H to give best wishes and kindest regards. And tell them the regiment will never be forgotten by the troops in the Philippine Islands and we would all like them to return again in the near future. Well we’ll close for this time. Write soon. I hope when this letter reaches you it will find enjoying good health. As it leaves me well that by the time this letter reaches you it find Mr. Bates enjoying good health. Mr. Bates said time ago thank him to please send me some chewing tobacco. Has he gotten better this time. Well good bye for this time you Bates write to your brother Corporal H. ???



You will all you will see in this sketch of the battleground, you can’t see any infantry but A company on the left flank over the mountain. And the advance guard below, that is my squad that is shooting up straight at the enemy. The paper wasn’t large enough to give all the companies. You will see where General McAbolous went straight up and jumped through the hole on the other side. You will see him making his escape down the mountain and you will look at the picture I sent you of Aguinaldo Cabirsh. And you will see the mau that surrender to me last Wednesday a week ago (General Montenegro). We have been after him for a year and just got him to speak good English. He was in New York 3 years. All the grass marks X are the mountains kept the where we had to charge up. The mountains in the search. There aught to be a back trail but you can’t get per it. In the sketch I will put a checkmark where the trail is to the other mountain. Well I want to write our mom and will send you a paper that gave a letter about the scrap. I will send you another paper in a few days. Well goodbye for this time. Write soon to your brother. Show this picture to some of the home troops and you could give it to the rancher. I would think they should be glad to get it. We burned all his headquarters. If you don’t give it to the people, send it to Billy. I will send you some of things I captured from McAbolous after the fight.

Moses Jewett to David Jewett Massachusetts Letter

1799 WWeston Massachusetts Letter JEWETT Jaffrey NH MANN's TAVERN Item number: 300164522801


letter dated June 24, 1799 Weston, MA to David Jewett, Jaffrey, NH
Hand carried and in manuscript on the delivery side
"To be left at Mann's Tavern"

Letter is from Moses Jewett to David Jewett, his brother. He mentions wishing to send his Horse to New Ipswitch within three or four weeks when he'll be arriving there and to ride to David's house. He desires to have Mr. Crosby informed and have the horse sent there and "take care of her."

This Massachusetts letter is for sale on Ebay. If you want to bid just follow one of the links on this page.

John H Greider Civil War Letter

1862 Manchester Tenn illustrated soldiers letter Ebay Item number: 280165030665


Manchester August 3rd from
John H Greider- no unit designation, to his sister.
I am no at Manchester Tennessee near the mountains-the rebels are with in 15 miles of us-we expect an...every day we have to stand ready for them-all the time we have a line of battle formed all the time day and night we have but very little rest now and besides that we have to go on picket duty every other night and besides that only half rashens-we have the hard times since we were in service-we are now detach to general smith devishen...to previde for his man like Negly did but I hope we will soon get to him again. but smith is a better general than negly is....the resen we got only half rashens was that battle at muffortsborro and the rebels burnd that bridge... you need not look for me insight a year. captured 1100 barrels of flower from the rebels at this town.

This John H Greider Civil War Letter is for sale on Ebay. Just follow the links if you are interested.