Home Sunday Eve July 5^th 1863

 

            Dear Brother

                                    I received a letter a few days ago from you after having almost given up hearing from you, as I had written two letters since receiving any. Still I should have written about this time, for I try to write as often as my business will allow me to, and now a days that is not very often.

 

What with my ordinary farm work, and labor being somewhat scarce, and having the enrollment of this town to make out, my time is pretty well filled up. I suppose before this time you have heard of the death, by drowning of the Doctors oldest boy Kasson. It was a very sad and almost incomprehensible affair, and one that seemed to affect the whole community with its suddenness and peculiar horror. I believe Mother—who is now at Squaw Grove was intending to write you in full about it so it will be useless for me to do so 

 

            Mercelia was taken sick the next day—one week ago—and had a miscarriage but is doing well at present I believe. The Doctor intends to go East with her, principally on his own account however, as his health is very poor, as soon as she is able. I think they set the time for starting at next week, and will go to Saratoga As I remarked just before, Mother is at Squaw Grove along with Mattie, who is expecting to be confined about this time, and probably we shall hear from there, something definite, before I finish this letter if I do not finish it to night as I ought to, as there are two letters yet unanswered from Ottie and my haying has just commenced, so that I shall have no time to write save sundays and rainy days. Yesterday—the 4^th—I spent making line fence between Price and Father on the creek bottom, up to my knees in the mud, all of the forenoon, and in the afternoon mowing. Wasn't that patriotic?

 

Sunday July 12. You see dear brother, that I did not finish this letter last Sunday, and during the week there was no chance for me to make time, as the weather was very good for haying. Of course you have had a great glorification over the capture of Vicksburg, and, the as yet indecisive victory at Gettysburg. Certainly prospects are / brighter than they were a few week since but what is Rosecrans doing? We read a few days since that he was on the move, and now the report is that "the campaign in that quarter is virtually ended" How is that? He has not got the former disease of the army of the Potomac has he?

Things here at home are in the usual way, but we expect that in about two weeks a change will come over the spirit of our dream, in the shape of the draft. The enrollment must be about finished and the draft will be speedy.

 

            The Doctor and Celia start for the East on Tuesday next. Mother is still at Darwins and nothing definite from Mattie. Father went over there last evening and probably will take mother to Aurora tomorrow. The weather to day is so cool tht we keep up a fire in the dining room the whole time, and yesterday when Teresa and myself went to Aurora the buffalo robe was absolutely necessary to comfort. For three days past the air has been so foggy that the sun looked like the moon and a person could face it the same as the moon, with the wind one day in the west and the mercury at 90^o in the shade and the next in the East and the thermometer at 50^o and going down. Today the wind is still in the east and the clouds look decidedly rainy 

 

Have you heard or seen anything of our cousin W H H Peirce? Aunt Coy has had a letter from him since he was exchanged and Eddie Blakesley, son of Burdetts partner was taken prisoner at the same time that William was. If you find him remember us to him and tell him that if ever he can he must come here and see us

 

He was in the 42^d I believe

 

And by the way Jet, I suppose that there is one Doctor Peirce, somewhere in the army of the Cumberland; though to his inquiring friends in this vicinity it requires that fact is patent only to the eye of Faith, and should it be your lot to hear from, or meet with him, in the course of your experiences all information forwarded will be thankfully received &c &c Ditto his wife

 

But I must close Write often and don't wait to receive letters. The every day life of camp is news and interesting to us so give us some

 

                                                                                    As ever

                                                                                                            Fayette

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