Civil War Letter from James Carter of Pembroke Maine 1864

Civil War Soldier Maine Infantry

Here are excerpts from a letter James Carter sent to "Sister" Annie in 1864:

West Pembroke

Sep. 13/64

Sister Annie

Will’s family are all well. You do not seem to keep posted in family affairs of your relations for Will’s family consists of four children, on boy and three girls so it seems that little Louella, three and a half years old, and Minnie Imogene or something like that, born last April are entire strangers to you.....

You speak of your revolver and swords and the old musket that my Grandfather carried in the old Revolutionary War. It is more than one hundred years old, has been in two wars and is good for another. I think you and E. would fight a great battle, rather think you would take Richmond before soon if you was out there.....

Brother Lewis is home on furlough sick from the effects of a sunstroke. He is some better. Allen Brown is also home on furlough sick from the same cause. He is getting quite smart again. There is only thirty of their Reg[iment] left fit for duty and only two of their Company. They belong to Company “B”, 31. Some are buried at Spottsylvania, in the Wilderness before Petersburg, and some are in the hospital.....

Read the complete letter at Past Voices website

Credits: Image: Portrait of Pvt. George Henry Graffam, Company B, 30th Maine Infantry. U.S.A., age 18 Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

1854 LITCHFIELD, MAINE

Letter from Mother to son, James W. True, Augusta, ME, with news from home -- mentions neighbors; commencement; haying time - "our barn is getting some fuller"; and lightning death of James Earl. "Burna Springer's house was struck and the lightning went through the floor where Mr. Dennis was sitting not two minutes before. The thunder was very heavy here." She also refers to a June 3 letter from Henry and hopes he will "find a big lump and come home."


Ebay Item number:230374693321

4th Battery Maine Volunteers 1865

Letter signed "Adelbert A. Dailey," Headquarters, 4th Battery Maine Volunteers, March 4, 1865.

Dailey writes to "Eddy" [Edward Elmes of Maine]. In full [original spellings and punctuation retained]: "To day I have been thinking of you and that I had ought to send you some some little token of friendship for you have been a good boy and have been kind and good to Mother and Zylpha since I have been away and Eddy you will always find a true friend in me[.] I hope you will do as well as you have while you stay with Mother[.] I should like to have you stay thru all summer if your Father and I can agree[.] I will send you a little present[.] I can not get much here to send you or I would give you something handsome[.] But be a good boy. Take good care of the things and I will make you a handsome present when I get home[.] I should like to have you with me if you will[.] I shall have to write Zylpha a short letter so I will close[.] Be a good boy Eddy and remember you will always find a good friend in me[.] With much love...."

This great old letter is for sale on Ebay Item number: 160307521898. This would be a great find for someone working on the genealogy of the Dailey family.

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.

1857 Abner J. Lowell Letter

1857 Abner J. Lowell Letter Item number: 230189476815

A May 25th 1857 letter from Abner J. Lowell to his cousin that mentions fishing voyage where "The Schooner was rolling rales (sic) under." It was written in small Point, and mentions a place called "Oak Hill". Abner says that the fishing voyage was rough for 48 hours. He also makes mention of the stationary being used and of the vignette which decorates it being a likeness of Col. J.C. Fremont.

I went and had a look in the 1860 United States Federal Census for Abner J. Lowell. I found a few people of intrest.

Abner Lowell Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine, 12, 1848 Maine
Abner Lowell Portland, Cumberland, Maine, 48, 1812 Maine
Abner T Lowell Bucksport, Hancock, Maine, 6, 1854 Maine
Abner Lowell Bucksport, Hancock, Maine, 62, 1798 Maine
Abner Lowell Palermo, Waldo, Maine, 15, 1845 Maine
Abner W Lowell Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, 57, 1803 Massachusetts
Abner Lowell Newburyport Ward 6, Essex, Massachusetts, 60, 1800 Massachusetts
Abner Lowell Raymond, Rockingham, Massachusetts, 35, 1825 New Hampshire

This letter is for sale on Ebay. If you are interested just follow one of the links to Ebay on this website.

BAILEY & CHANDLER FAMILY LETTERS FROM MAINE

1861+ ANTIQUE MAINE FAMILY LETTER LETTERS COLLECTION
PRAYER MEETINGS - AMPUTATION - BAILEY & CHANDLER FAMILY Item number: 330171237595

Handwritten Maine Family Letters - Correspondence. Most To: "Dear Sister" Janette Bailey Chandler. Most from: "Sister Nancy" Bailey. Some from Sands Bailey, Daggett & Others. Most from Cambridge Maine. a few from Amesbury, Green Corners and other Maine locations. 1861 - 1889. Most in 1870s. Mentions In Part: Anne did not come with us. She did not wish to leave Maine, therefore stopped at Lewis Woods in Winthrop giving lessons on the Melodrum - Headstones - Prayer Meetings - Wm Collins suicide - Making over our old dresses - It seems to bad when so near and you have a good team that you can not come - Sends you the little bottle of Preserves to remember her - Issiah has two singing schools besides his daily labor in the store - Louista impending Amputation - My left arm cannot do anything hard because it pulls hard on the kidney - P.M.B. from Boston & two of this place had her limb Amputated just a little above the knee& you can better imagine than I can tell how ? tending the scene. She took ether but still a disturbing moan was heard all over the house, it did seem to me I could not endure it. Writer goes on to write about the following days after the amputation...... she was suddenly taken of violent coughing and vomiting ......all exhausted grew cold, all the extremities arms and leg, death ......the physicians all night working with all their power resides all the rest of us warming cloths and rubbing applying a battery and all was cold as death and like it ? her fingers turned stiff & pale as death & the most disturbing scene I have ever witnessed - [the next day] Levista seems better & her physician thinks she is as well as can be expected, like raising the dead - Influenza which prevails in this place - The doctors are the greatest Humbugery of the age, they didn't know enough to know their ignorance - Sleighing - Made pudding and gingerbread - They are attending yearly meeting at New Port RI - I sent some silk to have a bonnet made by Levesta, I don't care if tis a Quaker - Minister C.R. Daggett [Duggett?] with us now and boarding - Fathers Death - Bottle of Medicine duly received - Mothers Death and description.

This bunch of Bailey family letters is for sale on Ebay. If you want to bid on it you can follow one of the links on this page.