Letter Number 36--From the Mary/Sue Collection--Sarah to Robert--11 July 1864 (Date Provided in Letter)

 

Letter 36 Original Page 1

 

 

Letter 36 Original Page 2

 

Letter 36 Original Page 3

 

Letter 36 Original Page 4

 

Letter 36 Enhanced Page 1

 

Letter 36 Enhanced Page 2

 

Letter 36 Enhanced Page 3

 

Letter 36 Enhanced Page 4

THE CORRESPONDANCE BETWEEN ROBERT BOND JR. (1819- 1894) AND WIFE SARAH ANN (MAIDEN NAME “FISK”—1823-1909) BETWEEN 1862 AND1868 

 

From the Mary/Sue Collection

Transcription of Letter “36”—from Sarah to Robert

11 July 1864—Date Provided in Letter

Transcribed by William B. Bond—Oct., 2013

Page 1:

To Robert Bond

Lyndon Juneau Wis July 11^th, /64 

(Written in the left margin at the of the page)

write as soon as you get this

Dear husband I seat myself this

morning to answer yours of the 26^th & 28^th

of June which came duly to hand I am

glad to hear that you are well, as this leaves

us all able to be about though not feeling verry¹

well, except Louisa^A she has not been

able to sit up more than half of the time

for nine weeks, I feel some what anxious

about her, whither her sickngs² is all caused

by A’s^B Furlough³ or not I cannot tell, she

has taken so many colds last winter and

spring that I fear they have impaired her

health, I am verry¹ sorry you do not get my

letters and cannot tell why you do not,

for I answer them all as soon as possible

after receiving them I shall send you this

enclosed in Louisa,s^A letter as Alvaro^B gets

all of hers as you wished to know of the

children I will tell you, Sarah^C has been
to school from the first of May untill untill⁴

about two weeks before the 4^th of July when she

did not feel able to go But has been since

PAGE 2:

she went to Reedsburg⁵ to a ball on the 4^th with

Will, Shepherd I think she will have to stay out

to help me a few days now, as I am troubled

so much with k head ache for a few days

past But think it will soon be better if

I am careful about going in the sun which

Brought it on Luella^D goes to school every

Day I rode over to the station Saturday with

Mr Briggs^F his wife went as far as Mrs Copes^G

Where we all came back and took supper

I took little Willie^E along to enjoy the ride

I weighed him and myself he weighed

33 lbs & I 97 & a half it has been so dry here

That we have all, about lost our appetites

But we have plenty of rain now, But

For about seven weeks we had none

my corn looks midling well considering the drougth⁶

and the oats are coming on some, for a

while I thought I should not have a bushel

as you wished to know about the Apple trees

I think perhaps there are forty of them the small ones alive

now But the Leocusts⁷ have troubled them

so much that I fear they will die after all

the large trees are in the same fix and

PAGE 3:

the apples are dropping off But I think there

will be some left after all there is no

use crying for what we can’t help, And

now I will tell you about the sheep they

sheared fifty lbs of unwashed wool for

which we can get seventy cts per lb

and if it is washed we would get ninety

cents it is a good price for wool on in 

ordinary times But now it is not a verry¹

big price as you will see when I tell you

how the prices of other things range good cotton

sheeting is 70 to 75 cts per yard, calico

from 30 to 35 cts, common brown sugar

25 cts per lb Tea from 1,65 to 2,00, per lb

flour ten Dollars per bbl⁸, Wheat 2 Dollars

per bush⁹ pork they pay fifteen cts cash for

at the store at the station, I presume they

sell for 18 or 20, cts I dont yet know

whither I shall sell my wool or not my side

troubles me some and I don’t know as

I shall be able to work it up As you

wished to know about the turkey he

has not been over here for some time

Hellen having given him a good

PAGE 4:

whipping and lamed him so he could not

come But Willie rode him occasionally as

long as he did come¹⁰, Now I will tell you

about the garden we have green beans

and peas & summer squashes & onions

shall have cucumbers in a week But

it has been so dry that our potatoes are

verry¹ backward I think I have nearly

half an acre of potatoes two and a half of

oats, and a little more than three and

a half of corn we have some currants

but I think I shall not be able to make

wine this year Also a few grapes I should

be glad if you could be here to enjoy these

things with us Oh may this war soon be

at an end and may our Father in

heaven watch over guide and protect

my own Dear husband and return him

safe to my arms again is the prayer

of your own ever true and Devoted

                   Wife Sarah A Bond

as I have not had a chance to send this

off and it is now the 14^th, I will say that

we are as well as when I wrote the first

of my letter, as you wished for some stamps

I sent you two in my last letter and

will send you one in this I would send

more but have not got them I will send

one or more in every letter

(Written inverted at the bottom of the page to the left of “Wife Sarah A Bond’)

Write as soon as you get this

FOOTNOTES:

1.  very

2.  sickenings

3.  Alvaro N Griffin enlisted on October 23^rd, 1861, and the roster of soldiers for the 12^th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Company E lists him as a “veteran.” This term was used for soldiers who had competed 2 years of service prior to January 5^th, 1864 and re-enlisted for an additional 3 years. As an incentive, the veterans were given $402 and a 30 day furlough—which occurred between the 13^th of March and the 3^rd of May, 1864. So Alvaro was home for 30 days on furlough during that time and Alvaro and wife Louisa’s first child, Frank, was born January 1865. So Louisa’s “sicknings” were most likely morning sickness. Since Robert did not enlist until August 30^th, 1862, he did not have 2 years’ service completed prior to January 5^th and therefore was not eligible for the “veteran” designation or a furlough at that time.

4.  repeated word

5.  Reedsburg is about 15 miles southwest of Lynden Station, Wisconsin.

6.  drought

7.  locusts

8.  “bbl” is the abbreviation for “barrel.”

9.  “bush” is presumably “bushel”

10.  This is confusing since why would “Hellen” want to whip a turkey and make it lame and how could 33 pound Willie ride a turkey? This seems to be some sort of unwanted animal that was making a nuisance of itself around the farm. Perhaps it was eating the chicken food and/or bothering the chickens?

LIST OF FAMILY MEMBERS MENTIONED:

A.  Louisa Maria Bond (1845-1896)—Daughter and oldest of the 4 children of Robert and Sarah to survive to adulthood. Married to 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.

B.  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.

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

D.  Luella Hortense “Leellie” Bond (1856-1893)—Daughter and third oldest of the 4 children of Robert and Sarah to survive to adulthood.

E. William Othello “Willie” Bond (1860-1928)—Son and youngest of the 4 children of Robert and Sarah to survive to adulthood.

LIST OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED:

F. A “Seneca Briggs” is mentioned in letter #26 and “Mr Briggs” in letter #23. From the context of those letters, Seneca Briggs and/or Mr. Briggs seems to have served with Robert in the 12^th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Company E, but went home to Wisconsin sometime in November or December 1863. Most likely this was Seneca Briggs or a family member of his with the same last name.

G. “Mrs Copes” was probably Nancy Cope—wife of James Cope who was serving with Robert in the 12^th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Company E. James Cope and wife Nancy were close neighbors of Robert and Sarah according to the 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Lyndon in the County of Juneau, State of Wisconsin—page 141.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

NOTE 1: This letter was written on a single sheet of paper folded in half to make four “pages”. There is no “embossed seal” indicating the paper manufacturer at the upper left of the front side as was common on many papers of the time.

NOTE 2:  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 3:  This letter was found loose and not in an envelope.

NOTE 4: The spelling and grammar in this letter are reasonable so I do not believe an overall transcription is necessary.

NOTE 5:  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. The major topics Sarah mentions include a report of Sarah’s health and the health of the children--which has not been “verry well”, but good enough for everyone to be “about”--except for Louisa who is probably pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. The letter continues with a report on the comings and goings of the family, and the state of the crops in the field and the livestock. Sarah provides local prices of household items and the report of a “turkey” that had been about the place. She finishes the letter with a prayer that the war would soon end and that Robert would return safely to her.