If you look at the photos of this letter, you’ll notice I took some liberties to make it more readable. See my note on my transcriptions on the main page.
Mary wrote letters to Jacob – though not as many as he would have liked. I have seven of her letters – this is the only one that has survived (to my knowledge) from before 1865. I’ll write more about Mary in a biographical section of this site as I build it, but she had to be a force to reckon with to survive and thrive with the farm and the children from 1862-1865 (with just a few brief visits from Jacob which couldn’t have been much fun – you’ll learn more later). It would have been great to have the entire dialogue of Jacob and Mary – but this first letter sets a nice tone and may help you to imagine her responses to Jacob’s letters over the next few years.
Mary’s First Letter to Jacob
Frankfort, [Ohio]
August 31st 1862
Dear Jacob,
I take the opportunity to pen you a few lines in reply to your last that I received yesterday and which found us all in tolerable health. I am glad to hear from you. We expected your letter to come to the station and would not have gotten it yesterday if Martin had not went up to town. You had better perhaps direct your letters to the Station after this. Matters are so far going pretty well. John Powell has not moved yet. Martin moved this week. They threshed your wheat last Monday, a part of it did not turn out very well and is very much hurt with the Smut.
I have been looking for you home and was very much disappointed when I heard that some of the boys had come home yesterday and you was not of the number. I hope you will get to come home this week or at least before you have to leave there for if you don’t I am afraid that it will be a long time before I will get to see you.
The news from Virginia as you perhaps are aware is not very encouraging. Matters in that quarter at least look very dark, gloomy and unpromising. I am sorry to hear that drafting is postponed. They had another meeting in Chillicothe last Friday and got I believe thirty or forty volunteers among them Veach Rittenhouse, Jo Anderson, and Will Henness (Zach’s Will).
Old William Henness is still getting worse.
I am sorry to hear that you have such a man for a Colonel. How do you like your Captain? We understand that the boys who came home yesterday done so by breaking guard. I know that you will not be guilty of such conduct. I would rather not see you for a year than that you should. Ike Roseboom was among the number. Nothing strange though.
Libby goes to the door and calls for you.
Your father thinks that you had better assent for him to sell your oats as it is laying in the barn on the floor and subject to be wasted. What is to be done in regard to paying off the hands for thrashing. I can’t put up any hogs to fatten until the new corn is fit for feed. John Powell is not satisfied with having to bear the expense of repairing the things which he may break, and I think that you had better change the article in that respect and each of you agree to bear one half of the expenses for damages for it will be as much if not more to his interest to avoid as much as possible breaking things as it is in the present form. If you leave it as it is, it will be nothing but a source of trouble. Do as you please though. I must close. Please write as soon as you get this. No more at present.
Your affectionate Mary
“Libby goes to the door and calls for you”
Mary of their 1 1/2 year old daughter (Martha Elizabeth) in her first letter to Jacob after he left home for battle. They also had a four year old son, Martin Isaac, when Jacob left for war. – 31 Aug 1862
A Thousand Thunders 