Letter Number 15--From the Mary/Sue Collection--Sarah to Robert--PROBABLY 24 May 1863 (Based on Context)

 

Letter 15 Original Front

 

Letter 15 Original Reverse

 

Letter 15 Enhanced Front

 

Letter 15 Enhanced Reverse

 

THE CORRESPONDANCE BETWEEN ROBERT BOND JR. (1819- 1894) AND WIFE SARAH ANN (MAIDEN NAME “FISK”—1823-1909) BETWEEN 1862 AND 1868

 

From the Mary/Sue Collection

Transcription of Letter “15”—from Sarah to Robert

 24 May 1863—Date Inferred From Context

Transcribed by William B. Bond—Oct., 2013

FRONT:

N/2

for me I want to finish this and take it over

I guess you will perceive I have changed pens

though this is not a very good one, I don’t know but

that I say too much about  my business in

my letters to be pleasing to you, but I remember

when you were here you were much interested

in the farm, I write you all the particulars

hoping to interest you though far away, it has

been verry¹ rainy here of late and the banking

or wall of the cellar has all caved in on the front of

the house it looks verry¹ much as Mr Griffins^B

did a year ago last summer I shall have to

have something done with it this fall

we have our crops all in but late potatoes

Sarah^A & I planted about over four acres of land

last week to one to lb of sugar cane seed the balance

to corn except alittle² corner to white beans

I expect Mr Hanson^C to plant the potatoes

this week quite a number of our apples trees have

blossomed this spring, had a few blossoms on

them, the grapes have a great many buds

for blossoms, likewise all the small fruits,

we shall have some currants after all, the

plum and cherry blossoms have just fell

off our grain looks well, the sugar cane

REVERSE:

that we planted is coming up through the

ground it was sprouted when we planted

it and everything looks promising and

I hope that you may come home to enjoy

yourself on your little homestead with

your family once more may the time

be not far distant every one that comes

here speaks of your beautiful orchard

and shrubbery, with our own hands we

have planted them together Oh may

we live to enjoy them together But if

the Lord wills it otherwise may he prepare

us to meet in that bright realm above

where there shall be no more parting, I walked

over to the station³ last thursday and let

Case^D have ten Dollars to apply on the

Wood^E Note, E B King^F wrote to me the

other day for the money on his Note he

said it was $9,65 on the first of May

and as he was going to move away he

should leave it in a Lawyers hands to

be collected at once if I did not pay not pay it

with out cost the first ten or fifteen

Dollars I get state money I intend to pay

him with, from your S A Bond

NOTES:

1.  very

2.  a little

3.  Lyndon Station—the nearby railway station and post office.

LIST OF FAMILY MEMBERS MENTIONED:

A.  Sarah Elizabeth Bond (1847-1912)— Daughter and second oldest of the 4 children of Robert and Sarah to survive to adulthood.

LIST OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED:

B.  Mr. Griffin mentioned in this letter is probably a relative of Alvaro N Griffin (son-in-law of Robert) and/or John Griffin who enlisted in Company E of the 12^th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry October 23^rd 1861 and October 1^st 1861 respectively—both from “Linden” (Lyndon), Wisconsin. 

C.  Mr. Hanson is presumably someone local who is available to do farm work.

D.  Case must be a local person who can accept payment on a loan or mortgage.

E.  Wood is presumably a person who is responsible for loaning the family money or securing a mortgage--hence the reference to the “Wood Note.”

F.  E B King is presumably a person who is responsible for loaning the family money or securing a mortgage--hence the reference to the “King Note.” There are also references to paying King or the King note in letters 26, and 27.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

NOTE 1:  The top left of this letter appears to read “N/2” indicating that this is the second sheet of paper in the letter. And clearly there must have been a first sheet—which was not found with this sheet--since the letter begins in the middle of a sentence. However a letter/sheet from the Billie P collection dated May 24^th, 1863 is likely the missing first part of this letter. The last part of the reverse side of the Billie P letter/sheet reads: “I think some of going over to Mrs Pecks for my mail yet tonight as Mr. Raney brings it….” And the first part of this sheet reads: “…for me I want to finish this and take it over” To me, the two seem to fit together—Sarah wants to finish the letter, take it over to Mrs Peck and pick up her mail. And the Billie P letter/sheet has an opening greeting on the front side with no closing on the reverse and the Mary and Sue letter/sheet has no opening greeting on the front and a closing on the reverse. I believe this is another example of one part of a letter being in the collection of Mary and Sue, and another part of the same letter being in the collection of Billie P. So it can be assumed that this letter/sheet was written May 24^th, 1863. Further evidence of a spring date comes from the context of the letter where Sarah describes planting and the blossoming of trees.

NOTE 2: This letter was written on a single sheet of paper front and back.

There is a very faint “embossed seal” indicating the paper manufacturer at the upper left of the front side as was common on many papers of the time. The embossed seal is oval in shape and it looks like there is the image of the U. S. Capitol Building inside the oval. It seems to be the same as the embossed seal on letters 3, 26, 27, and 28.

NOTE 3:  The writing in this letter is quite clear and the words are distinct. So the transcription should be very accurate. But if anyone who examines a scan of the original can better make out what the words are or can see anywhere that there is an error in the transcription, I would welcome their input.

NOTE 4:  This letter was found loose and not in an envelope.

NOTE 5: The spelling and grammar in this letter are reasonable so I do not believe an overall transcription is necessary.

NOTE 6:  This letter describes daily life on the farm of Robert and Sarah in Lyndon, Juneau County, Wisconsin while Robert is away serving in the Civil War. Major topics include the cave-in of the cellar wall, the status of the crops in the field and Sarah’s desire for Robert’s return to enjoy the farm and fruits of his labors. She finishes with a report of money she has paid on the Wood and King “notes”—which presumably are loans or mortgages.