Letter Number 19--From the Mary/Sue Collection--Sarah to Robert--PROBABLY October or November 1863 (Based on Context)

 

Letter 19 Original Front

 

Letter 19 Original Reverse

 

Letter 19 Enhanced Front

 

Letter 19 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 “19”—from Sarah to Robert

October or November 1863—Date Inferred From Context.

Transcribed by William B. Bond—Oct., 2013

FRONT:

since last spring except about one

days chopping, every body has more

than they can do to take care of them

selves and family, and I sometimes
wish they would Draft every man,

so that other women would have to do

as I do some one has sent a copy of the

Mauston Star¹ to you so I will send

it down to you if you think my

Runals² will interest you tell

Alvaro^A to let me know and I will

send them to you I have sent you

somethings by cope^B I have mentioned

them letter I sent by him if you

cannot wear the boots perhaps you

REVERSE:

can sell them and take the pay and

buy you something that you may need

if you get paid off as Alvaro^A spoke the

first of next month don’t rob your self

to send money home keep all you need

for I think we shall not suffer and

ceartainly³ you must not if your

money can do you any good

I shall send you some pills Dr

Debois^C let me have for the liver

complaint I have not taken but

a few of them I shall send them

in the paper^D, God bless and preserve

you so good night

from your own wife Sarah A Bond

NOTES:

1.  The “Mauston Star” is the local newspaper for Sarah.

2.  Journals? Cannot read this word.

3.  certainly

4.  The meaning of “…send them in the paper…” is unclear. Possibly it refers to the Mauston Star newspaper?   

LIST OF FAMILY MEMBERS MENTIONED:

A.  Alvaro N Griffin (1838-1916) who is away from home serving—along with Robert—in the 12^th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Company E during the Civil War. Husband of Louisa Maria Bond (1845-1896)—Daughter and oldest of the 4 children of Robert and Sarah to survive to adulthood.

LIST OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED:

B. “Cope” or “Mr. Cope” is mentioned in letters #23, #27, and #34. This is probably James A Cope who served in Company E of the 12^th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers-- along with Robert during the Civil War. Presumably Robert Bond and James Cope were friends since they enlisted on the same day—August 30^th, 1862—and were mustered out on the same day—May 31^st, 1865. Robert was from Dellona, Wisconsin, and James was from Linden, Wisconsin. Both Linden and Dellona are very close to each other. In addition, James Cope was a close neighbor of Robert and Sarah according to the 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Lyndon in the County of Juneau, State of Wisconsin—page 141.

C.  “Dr Dubois” was presumably the local medical doctor.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

NOTE 1:  This letter begins in the middle of a sentence with no greeting indicating that one or more pages—including the first page—is missing. There is a closing on the reverse side—indicating that this is the last page of the letter. My guess is that there were two pages with the first one missing, but it is possible there were more than two and that this is the last page. Unfortunately—by looking at context and sentence structure--none of the incomplete letters in either the Mary/Sue collection or in the Billie P collection seem to be the missing part or parts of this letter.

NOTE 2: This undated and incomplete letter was almost certainly written between mid October and mid November 1863. Sarah writes in this letter: “...I have sent you some things by cope…” In a letter dated Sunday October 25^th, 1863 (from the Billie P collection), Sarah writes: “…Cope started last monday morning for the Reg…” “Last Monday” would have been Monday October 19^th, 1863. So if Sarah gave some things for Cope to take to Robert and wrote about it in the past tense, the letter must have been written shortly before or after Cope departed. In this letter, Sarah writes: “…if you cannot wear the boots perhaps you can sell them…” In letter #23 dated November 14^th, 1863, Robert writes: “…I have Sold the …Boots for six dollars and fifty cts.” So presumably Sarah gave Cope a pair of boots--on or shortly before October 19^th, 1863 when he left Wisconsin--to give to Robert when he (Cope) arrived back at the regiment. But by November 14^th, 1863, the boots had been sold. In letter #26 dated December 18^th, 1863, Sarah writes: “…I was very sorry to hear that you sold your boots…” So clearly this letter was written before Sarah’s December 18^th letter, and probably before November 14^th, 1863. The mid October to mid November time frame is also supported by the fact that the beginning of the front refers to chopping winter wood—an Autumn activity.

NOTE 3: 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. Unfortunately the seal is so faint that I cannot determine any pattern to the seal. However the seal does not appear to be the image of the U. S. Capitol Building inside an oval as appears on letters 3, 15, 26, 27 and 28.

NOTE 4:  The writing in this letter is quite clear and the words are distinct. So the transcription should be quite 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. The greatest uncertainty with this letter is the meaning of the word that appears to be “Runals” at the beginning of line 10 on the front side.

NOTE 5:  This letter was found loose and not in an envelope.

NOTE 6: The spelling and grammar in this letter are reasonable so I do not believe an overall transcription is necessary.

NOTE 7:  This letter begins by Sarah describing the fact that neighbors living near the farm of Robert and Sarah in Lyndon, Juneau County, Wisconsin are busy chopping wood and taking care of themselves and her wish that all men would be drafted into the war so that other women would have the difficulties she has had. She goes on to write that a copy of the local newspaper had been sent to Robert and that she has sent Robert some “things” by way of James Cope on his return to the regiment. On the reverse of the letter, Sarah indicates that the boots Sarah sent Robert can be sold if he cannot wear them and that he should keep all of his pay that he needs rather than send it home.  The letter ends with Sarah writing that she is sending Robert some liver pills in “papers” along with a blessing and closing.