April 1864, Vic [?] Wilmington, [N.C.] to her brother, [Thomas Alston Martin?]
Dublin Core
Title
April 1864, Vic [?] Wilmington, [N.C.] to her brother, [Thomas Alston Martin?]
Subject
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Description
Wishes he had been reassigned to a different office, instead of continuing with his current work. Glad he has plenty to eat. Wishes he were home and she could take care of him. States that most people think the war will end soon. Is afraid of send Simon to school because of disease. Describes the dismal condition of the many hospitals around them.
Creator
Vic [?]
Source
Martin Family Papers, 1862-1868, Mss. 39.2 M36
Publisher
Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Date
April 1864
Contributor
SCRC Civil War Transcription Project Volunteer
Rights
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Relation
The finding aid for the Martin Family Papers, 1862-1868 can be found at http://scdb.swem.wm.edu/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=6770&q=Martin
Language
en
Type
Text
Identifier
Mss.39.2.M36.013
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
This transcription has not been checked by Special Collections Rsearch Staff. Please also consult images of the document.
Near Wilmington
April 1864
My dear Brother
I was more than glad to see your kind
& good letter yesterday evening. I had been looking for
one from you a long time. Though as I heard you
were at home enjoying yourself several times, I did
not feel uneasy. When you said you had been
ordered back to the same kind of duty, I felt very
much disappointed, for I had hoped that you
would either get a discharge,as you sought to have
or be assigned to some light & more agreeable &
profitable office, but we must not give way to
disagreeable thoughts. Try always to make the best
of "here & now", to enjoy all we can. I'm truly glad
you have a comfortable room & plenty to eat, hope
when you get acquainted with the people you will
be better pleased. I send a letter from Maddison.
Since she came back from Petersburg she said if she
had got back to Wilson(?) before you left she would have gone
up with you. I sent a letter from Mary Stone yesterday.
She said they were all well at Pa's & that rs. Boleyn was there yet. I have not sent a letter from any of the family
in some time. Mary has not gone back to Samfern(?)
yet but speaks of doing so next week, she spends part
of her time out here, & part in town with Julia. She
& all at Sister's think a heap of you. I was so glad to get
your letter. & wish I could see you today. Simon sends
a heap of love to you. We are at Uncle John's & have
had the first(?) spell of weather , "to be sure"-nothing
but wind & clouds & rain, until to day
, & Aunt
Ellen is having a general brushing up. Ian was here
the other day, he looks pretty well, but has not grown
much, I have never heard how many girls they have
at W.F. nor any thing about the school. I came
up stairs since I commenced writing, & as it is
night, & there is no ink up here, I will finish my
letter with pencil. I wish you were here tonight
but, you are far away, never mind, maybe I will
have a home some day, where you can stay with
me, & let me do just as much for your comfort
& pleasure as I want to. Most people think the
war will end this year, take good care of
yourself, & as Mrs. George Winston would say, "follow
my injunction" about your health & ? above
will cultivate a cheerful, hope ful spirit, it often
does more good than a medicine. Simon is
not going to school, but I teach him and Katie
when we do not have company. I could board
in town & send him, but am afraid of
disease, there are in many hospitals there.
The Soldiers have been doing night bad
about here, robbing people on the road, beat-
ing them & we heard to day the authorities
were having a wall built around one en
campment to keep them in, poor things, I
reckon, many of them are reckless, desperate
but they ought not to do so. They beat one
old many, not far from here, so that his
life is despaired of. Write to me whenever you
have time, & feel like it. I'm always so glad
to hear from you. Simon has just gone
to bed, he says I must tell you he has got
your knife yet, he and Katie have been catch
ing birds too. We have had fish occasion
ally - but they are not plentiful like they
used to be. I remember you always in
my prayers dear brother. As it is getting
late I will say good night.___
Ever ? Sister
Vic
Near Wilmington
April 1864
My dear Brother
I was more than glad to see your kind
& good letter yesterday evening. I had been looking for
one from you a long time. Though as I heard you
were at home enjoying yourself several times, I did
not feel uneasy. When you said you had been
ordered back to the same kind of duty, I felt very
much disappointed, for I had hoped that you
would either get a discharge,as you sought to have
or be assigned to some light & more agreeable &
profitable office, but we must not give way to
disagreeable thoughts. Try always to make the best
of "here & now", to enjoy all we can. I'm truly glad
you have a comfortable room & plenty to eat, hope
when you get acquainted with the people you will
be better pleased. I send a letter from Maddison.
Since she came back from Petersburg she said if she
had got back to Wilson(?) before you left she would have gone
up with you. I sent a letter from Mary Stone yesterday.
She said they were all well at Pa's & that rs. Boleyn was there yet. I have not sent a letter from any of the family
in some time. Mary has not gone back to Samfern(?)
yet but speaks of doing so next week, she spends part
of her time out here, & part in town with Julia. She
& all at Sister's think a heap of you. I was so glad to get
your letter. & wish I could see you today. Simon sends
a heap of love to you. We are at Uncle John's & have
had the first(?) spell of weather , "to be sure"-nothing
but wind & clouds & rain, until to day
, & Aunt
Ellen is having a general brushing up. Ian was here
the other day, he looks pretty well, but has not grown
much, I have never heard how many girls they have
at W.F. nor any thing about the school. I came
up stairs since I commenced writing, & as it is
night, & there is no ink up here, I will finish my
letter with pencil. I wish you were here tonight
but, you are far away, never mind, maybe I will
have a home some day, where you can stay with
me, & let me do just as much for your comfort
& pleasure as I want to. Most people think the
war will end this year, take good care of
yourself, & as Mrs. George Winston would say, "follow
my injunction" about your health & ? above
will cultivate a cheerful, hope ful spirit, it often
does more good than a medicine. Simon is
not going to school, but I teach him and Katie
when we do not have company. I could board
in town & send him, but am afraid of
disease, there are in many hospitals there.
The Soldiers have been doing night bad
about here, robbing people on the road, beat-
ing them & we heard to day the authorities
were having a wall built around one en
campment to keep them in, poor things, I
reckon, many of them are reckless, desperate
but they ought not to do so. They beat one
old many, not far from here, so that his
life is despaired of. Write to me whenever you
have time, & feel like it. I'm always so glad
to hear from you. Simon has just gone
to bed, he says I must tell you he has got
your knife yet, he and Katie have been catch
ing birds too. We have had fish occasion
ally - but they are not plentiful like they
used to be. I remember you always in
my prayers dear brother. As it is getting
late I will say good night.___
Ever ? Sister
Vic
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Collection
Citation
Vic [?], “April 1864, Vic [?] Wilmington, [N.C.] to her brother, [Thomas Alston Martin?],” Swem Library Digital Projects, accessed May 24, 2013, http://scrcdigital.swem.wm.edu/items/show/1758.
File: Mss.39.2.M36.013.pdf
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