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CSHR 9/39

Lancaster O.
January 14, 1863
[1863/01/14]

My dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I have been sick, confined to my bed & to my room ever since the 23rd of December. I am improving now & can go out when the weather is fine. My hand is weak & nervous & I can scarcely write. I feel uncertain whether my letters will reach you. I have not written since I was sick because I have been in such a state of anxiety & because I have felt that you would not get my letters. I have been with you in spirit ever hour since you left Memphis & await with intense anxiety the news which has been harrowing but which thank God is not so bad as at first it appeared Even yet we have nothing but newspaper reports but we know that you are safe & after suffering the grief of his almost certain death we flatter ourselves that dear Charley is also safe or he would have been mentioned being so near you. Had I been present I could not have more plainly seen the 13th march, poor fellows, with their colors flying - after such long waiting & anxiety to participate in the war. Every Captain & officer commissioned & non-commissioned with their brave fellows stood out before me & I could almost see the havoc of the deadly missels of the rebels as they fell among them. But most of all could I see dear Charley in front marching to death if God willed with the comfort at his heart that his cause was just & holy. I would ask no happier death that in battle in such a cause after being fortified by the Sacraments but it is a terrible trial to those who have to sit quietly at home & wait the random reports that are often harrowing in the extreme. I was thankful to hear that you had all come up to await reinforcements &c. I am more than anxious for your letter giving me the truth of the affair why the enemy were more strongly reinforced than you expected & why you found it necessary to return. I cannot tell whether you are returning to Memphis or to Helena or where. The load will not be lifted from my heart until after the next assault upon Vicksburg which will be deadly & in which I fear you will risk your life unnecessarily. Boyle has gone with his Brigade to you & will reach you before this letter. How disappointed he will be to find McClernand in command. Lincoln ought to be impeached as an imbecile for that very act. I beg & entreat you to write to me as the other letters I get cannot in any measure compensate me for the loss of one of yours. Give my best & heart felt congratulations to each & every member of the Staff & tell them it will I trust be only a little while until I can congratulate them not only upon their safety but upon the capture of the rebel strong hold. I have petitioned for you earnestly dearest & I have had the prayers of the humble & the lowly said for you so fervently that I do beleive Our Lord will spare you to me until you are blessed with the sacraments of the Church. The children are well, but Emily is sick & last night they worried for her & kept me awake nearly all night so I scarcely feel able to hold up my head now.

Ever dearest your devoted

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
January 19, 1863 Monday morning
[1863/01/19]

[WTS]

At last my darling husband I have received letters from you and have the assurance I so much longed for that you are in good health and Spirits and satisfied with the past altho' disappointed.

The newspaper accounts were so harrowing & suggested such horrible slaughter & multiplied evils that I almost dreaded to hear particulars. For several days we felt almost certain that dear Charley was gone & the Suspense until I heard was hard to bear I assure you. Not until Saturday 17th evening late did I have one line from anyone below Cairo - or indeed below Cincinnati & if Satan had let all his imps loose upon a special mission of lying we could not have had more false information from there. Your strict orders seem to have been ineffectual in keeping away the correspondants (poor wretches) - they have an inglorious ignominious calling) for they have been writing to all the papers the greatest amount of abuse of every sort of you - I don't think they have ever before equalled their present efforts. Clearly they have surpassed themselves, all except the correspondant of the Chicago Times who seems to have known more of the truth & to have had a better appreciation of things than any of the others. Even the Missouri Republican is publishing abusive letters of you. They are penny-a-liners (the correspondants) and must live - the newspapers must have Something to publish so you must either give them a chance to live by fair stories or they will live by foul ones. You might as well attempt to control the whirlwind as the newspaper mania so I advise you to attempt no longer to set your face against the Storm. Rumor says that McClernand!! has taken Arkansas Post - The President ought to be impeached for such imbecile acts as placing McC. in command at the time he did or at any time. Now that you are appointed a Corps Commander I hope you will ask for Philemon as Judge Advocate on your Staff. Do have Dayton McCoy Taylor and Maj. Taylor promoted and Hammond if he remain with you and do let Sanger return to his Regiment. Now that your Staff will be increased you can get others to do you as much service as he and it would be most gratifying news to me to hear that he was with his Regiment and off your Staff. I have been sick for nearly a month but within a week past I have been improving & could go out now were the Snow not so deep & the weather so bitter cold. After Father gets home I will go to Cincinnati & get some medical advise. I fear my lungs are in a bad State. For several winters I have had more-or less trouble with them & could not live without free use of croton oil. I wrote you that Boyle had gone with his brigade to join you. Henrietta is writing to him to day but in case he should not receive her letter tell him the little Brigadiers are all well & Henrietta is keeping up her Spirits finely-spends every evening with me & I am very glad of her company.

Mother is at the Water cure. Sis returned yesterday from a visit to her. She found her so nervous about the Vicksburg assault that she was on the point of starting home - a thing the Dr. says she must not think of until Spring. We all feel that a load has been lifted from our hearts & I assure you they rise in gratitude to God for His great Mercy in Sparing you & dear Charley & all through so many dangers. I will have a mass of thanks giving offered for your safety as well as constant & earnest prayers for your continued preservation until faith crowns your virtues & you pass from the pure minded patriot - generous unselfish superior man to the humble worshipper of an incarnate God who died to redeem us - Give the enclosed to Charley. I fear he will break down if that Diarrhea continues. Do pay him all the attention you can. I know you will. Tell Hill he shall have his reward - Best & kindest regards to all the Staff & to my friends generally. I think of them constantly. How proud I am of my dear 13th. May Heaven bless all patriots who do their duty in this dark hour. I hope Gen'l Smith will live.

Ever your truly affectionate

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
January 23, 1863.
[1863/01/23]

[WTS]

I have written repeatedly dearest Cump but I feel no assurance that you receive my letters. Every them seems so engrossed by Army affairs that we can hardly hope to have the mails carried regularly. You wrote to me on the 4th and promised to write again before you left the mouth of White River. I am sure you did write altho' I have not received your letter. As I wrote you it was not until the 17th that I received a single letter from any of you after the abandonment of the seige of Vicksburg. I never felt so releived in my life - a great weight was lifted off my heart, at finding that dear Charley was well and that you were in good spirits. I had been sick for three weeks nearly & was just getting able to sit up all day, when one morning Mr. Willock called before I was up - "to give me the news from Vicksburg." He followed the girl to my room door and I told him to come in - as I was an invalid I would receive him in bed. He then said that "our Army had been repulsed - driven back with great slaughter - Gen'l. Morgan killed - Morgan L. Smith wounded & the rest of the details too horrible to mention." Imagine my condition of mind & body! the more I suppressed my emotion, the worse I felt - I knew that you were not hurt but I feared you would be unhappy & discouraged, particularly as I knew McClernand was going there to supercede you at that unfavourable crisis as it seemed to me then. As the Slaughter was great" and "the details too horrible to mention" I thought there was but little reason to hope that Charley was living as I knew the 13th would not be out of the reach of danger. We could not help mourning Charley as dead & in the midst of our distress the letter he wrote on Christmas day was brought to me & we looked upon it as the last we would ever receive from him & read & reread it with tears & emotion that was irrepressable. We wanted Mother to see it but we would not trust it by mail but Sis took it up. We thought she ought to be there with Mother when the news came - that we feared would certainly come - of Charleys mutilation or death. Think what gratitude to God filled our hearts, when after all this, & a pitiless storm of newspaper abuse & false rumors, your letters came - My mind is calm & I am hopeful as heretofore, but I fear constantly that you will on some desperate occasion expose yourself unnescessarily. I feel very uneasy too about Charley's health. he has had that miserable Diarrhea so long. Tell him he must try the medicine I sent him by Capt. Cornyn of Boyle's Staff. Recommend to him to eat toasted cheese with cracker. Do not, as heretofore, dear Cump scorn my little prescriptions - they have releived many - Red pepper is excellent used as freely as possible. I fear we have lost many more friends in the attack on Arkansas Post. I am very anxious for the next news from you -

Father is still in Washington - he writes me that all there are indignant at the weakness of the President in sending McClernand to that place.

He says that your military reputation is too high to be injured - I was delighted with your report & have copied it to shew to Mr. Hunter & some of our friends. I am truly obliged to you for sending it. Tell dear Charley that we fully appreciate his good letters written after so much fatigue & whilst he is not well. Please give him this letter to read - send it to him, if he is not with you as I have not time to write to him to day. I have written to him & to you before since the receipt of your letters. Please say to Hammond & Dayton that I have written to them. I enclosed a letter to Col. Kilby Smith containing a commission as 1st Lieut. for Sergeant Moore. There is a private - "Allen" - in the 42nd Ohio who is a distant relation of ours & a good little fellow. Ask Charley to shew him kindness if in his power. Give my kindest regards to all the Staff & tell Maj Taylor we do not forget him in our prayers. Tell Capt. Taylor Tommy boasts of him as a particular friend. Tommy & Lizzie go to school to Kate. Elly & Rachel are too sweet to be described. They give me various jogs when I am writing. Minnie & Willy are well & happy

Ever dearest Cump your truly affectionate

Ellen -
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
January 28, 1863
[1863/01/28]

[WTS]

This, my dearest Cump is Minnie's birthday and I have just written her a long letter. She is twelve years old to-day and a large girl of good judgement sweet temper and great intelligence & piety. I am so lonely here, so far from you, with Father & Mother out of town & the dear children away that I think I shall not soon again let them away from me. Minnie will make her first communion in the Spring and Willy is learning his faith and it was more for that than anything else that I sent them there so when year's influence is acquired I can safely keep them at home. Willy writes to me often now & the last time he wrote he Said he was head of the arithmetic & geography classes & that he has been six times at the table of honor. To get there requires the very best conduct during studies & at all times. I anticipate a great deal of pleasure at the exhibition in June when I am sure both the children will hold their own among their comrades. Minnie's size makes her seem older than She is but I think she can stand in her classes with her seniors in years & equals on heighth.

I received your dear letter of the 16th yesterday. You seem not to have enquired of Boyle anything about us, or you would have known that I had been too sick to write to you for nearly two weeks before he left Henrietta here. I have not yet entirely recovered as the weather is too unfavourable for me to get out. Your letter to Father with your report & the maps was all that the envelope contained. You referred to other enclosures which I might keep for the children - you must have forgotten them. It has been some time since we heard from Father & I will not send your letter as he may be coming home very soon.

Philemon goes to Columbus today to endeavour to procure for Charley the Colonelcy of the Ohio 47. which is under Boyle and without a Colonel. I received Boyle's letter only night before last - the 26th -. I would go up with Philemon but I am not well enough yet to take the trip. Please tell Boyle & Charley that we will do all we can for him. If the appointment is not already made we must get it -

The victory of Post Arkansas is well understood to be yours and your reputation is so well established & so well grounded that you need feel no despondency at the present aspect of affairs as seen through the newspapers. You must either do as Rosecrans, & every other General in the entire Army but yourself, and treat newspaper reporters with some consideration or you must submit to a constant torrent of abuse & know that your friends at home are forced to hear these things daily & hourly. One man cannot stem a torrent by his own individual unassisted strength. And you cannot stand up against newspaper power - alone - as you do without being engulphed in abuse & a false public opinion - Instead of resisting why not use it - not in the way Demagogues use it but in an honorable dignified way. You would like no one to call John Sherman a mean trickster - he uses the newspapers & takes pains to conciliate them. And then too you must remember that people at home with friends in the Army - & indeed all people live on the news from the Army - the newspapers are looked to for this news every other General & man in the United States manages in his own way to let them have it & so must you - You shew them a way kindly & politely to get such news as you are willing they should have & you will find them subservient docile & your ardent friends - for they know yr. Superiority & would be glad to sustain you did you not kick & cuff them so unmercifully.

Consider this dear Cump & beleive me you will do better to act on it. For us who know you no outside praise is necessary but you might just as well be presented in your true light to the world at large & to do that you must endure correspondants - They are poor forlorn devils at any rate & compassion would induce you to treat them with forbearance would you only lay aside a false notion of fastidiousness

It is time for me to close for the mail - I trust in God Genl Grant will go down in Command - Love to dear Charley & Boyle -

Ever dearest your truly affectionate

Ellen -
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
January 29, 1863
[1863/01/29]

[WTS]

I wrote you yesterday, my dearest Cump but as I feel particularly like writing today I will not wait for more time to intervene between my letters. We are very lonely here, all our amusement being to talk of you & hear of you through the day and dream of you of nights. Your picture of Boyle's arrival & report to you was very interesting & my imagination presented a vivid picture which I would love to have witnessed in reality. Dear Charley! I can imagine his happiness to be with you & to have Boyle with his Brigade under you too. He has long sighed & hoped for such an arrangement.

Philemon went to Columbus yesterday to apply for the appointment of Charley to the vacant office of Col. of the 47th Ohio now under Boyle. I sincerely hope he may be successful. He must be if the Governor is acting fairly for he distinctly promised Charley a Colonelcy whenever a vacancy should occur. We will know by tomorrow. Philemon will write to Boyle the result of his application. Poor Mother is very unwell & cannot get home before Spring. Philemon will go out to see her. Father will not be home before next week. Yesterday was Minnie's birthday - I don't know whether it was the approach of that day or what, but I have been quite heart sick about both Minnie & Willy lately. I cannot let them go away soon again. The time will come soon enough when we must part. Dear Lizzie after being remarkably well all fall and early winter has begun to droop again. She is learning however and is very bright intellectually - Elly is too smart for any use & too full of airs and affectation. Sis says she grows prettier every day. She is very like the Hoyt family - like your Mother - she's the sweetest little singer I ever heard - nothing seems too difficult for her to catch & remember - She sings all the little song "Were coming General Sherman" - All the children sing it & I play the accompaniment & sing with them. Tommy thinks it peculiarly his song as he belongs to the Regiment. He will wear nothing but the uniform & we have had to make him a new one. He is an admirable boy since he made you a visit - goes to school and gives me no trouble whatever. He is very dear & good - Rachel looks just as Willy did when I found him so much afraid of me on my return from home to California. By the bye Sister "Benvin Stanbery" - one of the Sisters that was very kind to me twenty five years ago, when I used to be sent to Somerset - wrote to me yesterday lamenting, on behalf of the Sisters of "St. Agnes" your absence from Memphis. She wants you - the Memphis Sisters wish you to give them a letter to the Commanding Officer there now which will gain them some protection & favor. They have been much annoyed & indeed seriously troubled and alarmed since you left & feel unprotected without you. Write to me dearest as aften as you can and please do not trust to the letters of others satisfying me. I hope you will continue well & I trust in the great mercy of God & the powerful intercession of the blessed Virgin to have you restored safely to your little family & ever devoted,

Ellen -
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
January 30, 1863.
[1863/01/30]

[WTS]

During the time that you missed letters from me I was sick and unable to write. Now at last after more than a month's close confinement to the house I feel like myself again - but that's not remarkably bright according to your estimation. I feel more anxiety than I would admit about your health for the exposure on those Rivers is very great. And the poor soldiers too, must suffer and thus your ranks be thinned at a time when you need the services of every man. People are jubilant over the capture of Post Arkansas & not a paper that I have seen refers the credit to McClernand. On the contrary those who dislike you most are forced to leave the inference to be drawn that to your plans is due so important a victory. We well know the fearful struggle you will have before Vicksburg - Let me entreat you most earnestly, my dearest, not to expose yourself unnecessairly as I fear you may, We, as a family, have a fearful interest in the result of the coming conflict - you, Boyle & Charley there - poor Henrietta - I pity her when the fight begins & the first horrible newspaper rumors begin to come in - Nothing but my reliance upon the goodness of God could have sustained me through the last and notwithstanding my faith & hope & confidence I suffered more than I can tell. She is so nervous & timid at the best that she must endure tortures at such times. Let us have news from you as soon as possible after rumors have come in to the papers. Major Hammond has been most kind in writing me so often and I am truly thankful to him but you must remember that I am not satisfied until I hear from you. If you have not time to write much give me a short letter but let me have the assurance that you are in good Spirits & that you think of me. Dayton writes the most entertaining letter of any person out of the family. I enjoy his letters exceedingly. He is very clever.

Yesterday I received a long letter from Capt. Smith of 13th one string of praises of you & denunciation of the newspapers. He says the bone of his knee is fractured & is very painful. He writes from Marietta O. where his wife is nursing him.

In the "Lycoming Gazette" I lately read a first rate letter written by a Brigade Surgeon about Mr. Bowman & his Regiment. He was mentioned in the reports - especially mentioned - by his Division & Corps Commande's at Fredericksburg - He commands a Brigade now. I have not heard from him or Mrs. Bowman for two months. I would write to Charley to-day but I want to wait to know the result of Philemon's application for him for the Colonelcy. I wrote to you yesterday & the day before - Except during the three weeks that I was sick I have written you as usual. Please tell Col. Kilby Smith that I was very happy indeed to receive his very interesting letter and only wished it was longer. I see from your report of the Post Arkansas capture that you have mentioned him honourably but I want you to give him a personal recommendation - or a letter - in addition to that - so that he can get some friend to present it and secure his promotion. I hope Major Taylor is well by this time. Give him by best regards. I am sorry you have lost Dr. McMillen & Dr. Hartshorn as you like him. I am sorry too young Taylor has to leave. Give him my best regards also. I hope you will have Hammond promoted a grade & make Dayton a Major. I wish Sanger would join his regiment unless the recent regulation from Washington in regard to A. A. Genl's takes Hammond away. If either leaves, you will then have no more discord & quarreling in your little family. I think by that regulation Hammond will not be with you long - which probably is best. I want you now to apply for Philemon as Judge Advocate* & unless you press his name others will slip in for their friends. Philemon has evinced for you the truest & most affectionate regard - his judgement & acquirements are superior to what you would secure in any one else and I hope you will secure him the appointment and his services to yourself. I have many more things to say to you but six or eight children are in the room fussing over a "party" & Rachel every now & then jogs my elbow & the girls run in with errands & I don't know what I have written nor in what manner. Make Charley write to me. Tell Boyle Edith is here now & all are well. Love to dear Charley & Boyle -

Ever yours

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 4, 1863
[1863/02/04]

[WTS]

I enclose a letter for Charley, dearest Cump, as I think he will be more apt to get it promptly if directed to you Please send it to him as soon as you can. Charley writes us that you unnecessarily expose yourself in battle - that at Arkansas Post you took the worst possible position for your own preservation, if you were to be killed or even badly wounded the effect would be very bad on the men who look to you for Support & encouragement. Kind Heaven has protected you so far but you must remember that we should not improperly expose its precious gifts. And your life is my life & you must bear in mind my weary days of anxiety on your account - Think what the world would be to me if you were gone! desolate - I would then live in my children & the hope of Heaven would make life supportable but endurable only - but nothing could give me pleasure on my own account & my heart could never recover the loss. Do not say this is idle talk that the event would be different - I know my own heart best - I have loved you too long ever to lose you & be reconciled. And I love you more now, if possible than ever. Sympathy is expressed for the window who has been married but a short time - but she cannot mourn & cannot have loved her husband as entirely as the wife of many years. I never felt our seperation as severely as now and sometimes I feel that I must break through all restraint & against all prohibitions go to you - If you should be wounded I will go to you in spite of all obstacles - So if you do not wish to See me set a bad example to other wives you must - take better care of yourself & not get wounded. Your reports are highly interesting to me. I have let Mr Hunter and several other friends read them. After the next engagement I want you to give the "Regulars" the distict & emphatic praise - that you would give them were the strangers to you & not your Regiment - You never praise me - so you must praise them for me as I know they deserve it & you know it too

If you have time & inclination to read more family gossip read Charley's letter. He will bring it to you with a newspaper slip enclosed.

Ever dearest your affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 4, 1863
[1863/02/04]

[WTS]

I wrote you this morning my dearest and thought I would write you a long letter to send by Dr. Davidson tomorrow but I have this moment learned that he leaves this evening. Henrietta has come over to take tea with me & it is near the hour for the Doctor to start so I cannot say much to you although I had hoped to secure the delivery of a long letter by him. I have written to you very often since I got well enough to write at all but I cannot tell whether my letters reach you as I do not hear from you now - At least I hear very seldom - It is a serious deprivation to get no letters. Your last to me was written at Napoleon & in the same envelope was one for Father which I enclosed to John Sherman for fear would have left Washington by the time it got there and thus lose it entirely - I send you an article from the Commercial which you may not see otherwise. I wonder if Gen'l Hurlbut did not cause the article - Tell me, if you know.

Give the 13th distinct good praise after the next engagement & encourage them now as much as possible. Give them some attention in my name if you can - a distribution of whiskey onions or something good. Poor fellows!

I received a letter today from Mother & she desired me to say to you that you have her fervant prayers for safe return & victory She says to tell you from her, that you must pray yourself that God will bless your arms & restore you to your family -

The children are all well but Lizzie & she is getting better,

Ever your truly affectionate

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 8, 1863
[1863/02/08]

[WTS]

Your birthday, my beloved husband, and you so far away from us. Could you know how I long to have you with us, or to be near you on any terms you would feel what the trial of staying at home and quietly enduring is. As it is you know only the rough & boisterous & stormy side of heroism, whilst I often have a dreary monotony, with nothing to divert me from the inevitable heartaches & pangs, fear dread regret and longing. My heart is keenly alive to every danger you encounter & nothing can happen adverse to you which does not pierce my heart. But my faith and hope are abiding & my consolation is ever to look up to the Great God of Justice & Mercy who can bring good out of evil & in whom I trust to be reunited to you in peace & comfort here & forever hereafter in eternal joys. Your trials great & Small are trials all to me & sadly but secretly do I ponder over them and your every act of virtue & heroism - displayed in many ways & evident to your friends when not acknowledged by yourself - is treasured in my heart of hearts & tends to make you I sometimes fear almost too dear - Dear Charley is enthusiastic in his admiration of you - not as you appear under fire only - and you may be Sure it does me good to read his letters - No brothers could love you more than do Boyle and Charley and I am truly glad they have accomplished their first wish & got with you. You are dearly loved by Father Mother Philemon & Tom and Sis as well as by Boyle & Charley & when you reflect upon me & your dependent children and upon all others who love you so sincerely & whose pride is in you, you will not unnecessarily risk yourself in battle. Father in writing from Washington to Philemon Jan 31st says - "tell Ellen she could not desire her husband to stand higher than he does with the people east" - Mr. Stanton says you are the best Gen'l in the Army in his estimation & Halleck knows you are - But you have certainly allowed yourself to be too much worried by Newspaper men - You cannot do anything unaided against them & there is not one man in power who will unite with you against them. So do dear Cump give up the Struggle & Suffer them to annoy you no longer - The first distorted accounts that went forth of the fighting at Vicksburg was from the correspondant of the Missouri Republican who was evidently in Frank Blair's pay. The Cincinnati Commercial is only too anxious to stand by you but the pressure from correspondants and men working for other Generals is sometimes too great for it. I enclose you some paragraph from that paper of the 24th Jan & 2nd Feb. which please return to me. I want Dayton or some one to find out for me who was the Soldier who wrote the letter Signed "T. K." I cannot imagine who wrote the other article unless Gen'l Hurlbut gave the items & induced the Editor to write it. Tell me if you know.

The dear children are well - It would do your heart good to watch them at their plays. Elly is the Smartest, most talkative cunning interesting little thing I ever saw. She can sing better than most young ladies. She will use the piano well. Dear Minnie is taking lessons and from what I hear I think she is improving. Poor Willy! I can't bear to think of the little fellow so far away - How happy they will be to get home poor children. I will try and give them as much enjoyment as possible. You must come then to see them for if you do not we will all go to See you in the fall. I send a letter today which Mother enclosed to me to direct to Charley, so I will put off writing to him until tomorrow - Sis is also writing to him to-day. Give my best love to him & to Boyle & say to the latter that some complaints are heard of a want of letters from him. I suppose he writes but the letters do not come promptly. You have applied for Hardie to be sent to you. I sincerely hope he may be. I hope either Hammond or Sanger will get a regiment & releive you of the disagreeable state arising from their animosity towards each other.

Father is still in Washington - he Seems in no hurry to get home. Mother is confined to bed at the Water Cure. Philemon's fourth daughter was baptised yesterday "Mary Angela" - I stood for it. Tommy says it's ugly but I think it beautiful. Lizzie is getting better. Write often dearest Cump & beleive me ever your truly

affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 10, 1863
[1863/02/10]

[WTS]

I wrote you yesterday, or rather late the night before dearest Cump, and before that, I had written you very often after I became able to write without great fatigue. I was very sick & in a way that rendered me very uneasy about my health. My lungs are still sore and inflamed but I hope to get through the Spring without any more serious trouble. I will be thankful for life, with the greatest torture, rather than be taken from the dear children. Dear Cump I had so vivid a dream about you last night that I was - sorry to wake from it - but it is better to be happy if only in a dream than not at all. The children are constantly dreaming of you and they are delighted to tell or listen to the dreams next morning. The conversations on that subject end always with "O' don't you wish Papa would come?" -

Henry Cranmer told me yesterday that he would leave to-day for Memphis & perhaps Vicksburg - It was then too late for me to prepare anything to Send by him. He told me he already had a package to take to you "from Mrs. Reese". In all deliberation, & with the true love of my husband in my heart & the fear of God before me, I say to you Cump, that you must not write to Mrs. Reese or any of her children if you mean to continue to be to me what you have been - the truest kindest and best. I will not worry you again with all that afflicts & annoys me in this matter but I will say that by writing to her you will cast opprobrium mortification & unhappiness upon me. My happiness is in your keeping and you will not deliberately mar it for the sake of any one.

Elly has just stepped in with a message to dear Papa - to "tome home." She is very industrously brushing her teeth with what she calls a teeth brush - Rachel is a strong fine child with abundant good sense a proper degree of sensibility but not too much devoted to music & dancing & able to take care of herself - Every day I play the piano at least once & often two or three times a day for them to dance. Gertrude dances with them & they are happy as possible. Mother & Father still away & Lancaster dull & dreary.

Ever your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 11, 1863
[1863/02/11]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I enclose a couple of scraps from the Commercial which may not otherwise reach your eye. The extract from Tom's letter I sent to them myself having seen in their paper of a few days before an article taken from the Missouri Republican, headed "How to cross a River" and giving a very different version of the affair which is so prettily given by Tom - The letter was addressed to Father but as he was not here we took the privelege of reading it and extracting from it - - In writing to the Editors in sending the article I asked him - who wrote that letter from Arkansas Post signed "T. K." and who wrote the long article in vindicating you in their paper of the 2nd. Halstead replied that the soldier who wrote the letter referred to was Thomas King a private but he did not say in what Reg. or company. Please ask Dayton to find out for me.* Halstead also said that he himself had written the long editorial referred to, and that he "had taken great pains to ascertain the facts as he was unwilling injustice should be done you & detriment the country because you were unjust to correspondents" as he "knew you to be brave & beleived you to be capable." He was evidently gratified by my letter and it would only need a kind word to enlist them strongly as your firm friends. The Cin: Gazette is embittered against you by Tom Worthington - Mansfield the former Editor & still ruling Spirit is a brother in law of Tom. His wife is a bitter protestant and two or three members of her family (Worthington) having become Catholics her feelings are naturally arrayed against all of that faith. They know us well & think of you as Catholic no doubt and thus they feel a double animosity. Reed who publishes the paper has a particular spite at Father & would take pleasure in abusing you to make him uncomfortable

But Father is so well satisfied with your merits & standing that newspapers cannot trouble him. Still I do not want you to notice correspondents even when they do violate orders - You cannot do anything against them. Submit to them as you would to mosquitoes or any other annoying insect -

All pretty well but me - We hope for letters soon - Tell Charley our letters to him will stop soon if he don't write.

Ever dearest your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 14, 1863
[1863/02/14]

[WTS]

On Saturday evening, dearest Cump, I received your letter of the 4th inst. I assure you I was glad to See your dear hand writing once more. But I am Sorry to find you still have so much to trouble you. We have become callous to newspaper abuse and you must not allow yourself one moment's discomforture on that account. One of your merit can afford to wait you can live through the clamor of the day and bear the test of time. So long as you continue as you have hitherto been "sans peur et sans reproche" I feel only the more proud of you when the ignorant & the malicious assail you. But if you abandon your country & her cause when so few are competent & willing to Serve, I shall then indeed be distressed It is not Lincoln but the country you serve and you have done and will do your best and obstacles which you cannot surmount or overcome like this miserable newspaper mania you must get around in the best possible manner. But our country right or wrong grateful or ungrateful let us not desert her or shrink from serving her. Let not the "Snapping turtles" drag you down. You stand pre eminent - others have gone down because they were incompetent or demagogues or Secessionists at heart. But you have pure principle & loyalty & can move on your course tranquil & steady whilst the howling & barking goes on as dogs bark at the moon. I would like to See the papers you sent to John & I hope he will not keep them long. Whatever happens Cump hold on to your commission. Do not desert the good ship whilst she is in danger of Sinking - you cannot do it - If you have sent in your resignation let me beg you to recall it. God, who knows my heart, knows that in giving you up I make a true & a great Sacrifice but I consider it duty & honor & God's service and I dare not do otherwise. I only wish the boys were old enough to be with you. Were it not idle I would give way to vain regrets that I could not help & be of Service too in the terrible struggles you have to bear.

I have written you very often since, I got well enough to write, for a month now, but I greatly fear you do not get my letters, at least not more than half of them. Do be kind to poor Charley. He has never been healthy. Tell him he really must write to me; I feel uneasy about him. Father is still in Washington & poor Mother sick at Dr. Shepard's.

The children are rosy & happy. Rachel is as broad as Willy was at her age. She is very Smart & sweet. Poor Lizzie is deaf again. Tommy is great on the multiplication table. Kate is a good teacher and has a fine school. Do you notice Luke sometimes? One Allen private in the 42nd Ohio is a relation is some degree of ours. He is a young fellow of natural refinement seems delicate but is always on duty If you could notice him I would be very glad - Philemon writes to him often. Halstead of the Commercial writes me that private Thomas King wrote that beautiful tribute to you in the paper of the 24th Jan. Halstead wrote the long article of the 2nd Feb. & said he was at some pains to get the facts.

Lizzie is by me & sends love to dear Papa - she is fortunately very fond of reading now.

As ever, your truly affectionate

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 20, 1863
[1863/02/20]

[WTS]

A report was telegraphed from Washington to all the papers a day or two since, dearest Cump, that you were in Washington. At first I thought it probable but on reflection I have concluded that it cannot be so. I almost hoped it was so for although it would not be agreeable to you to be there it would have insured us a short- visit from you here. I have become almost discouraged about letters. I hear from you so seldom. Do you write to me or are the letters lost? You ought to write to me often if you make your letters ever so short. I have not had a letter from Charley, since the one he wrote me after the attack on Vicksburg. I will enclose in this a picture for him & I wish you would tell him that until I receive a message from him, at least, I will not write him another line. I have written him as often as every third day since the 19th of Jan & I have not even had a message of acknowledgement. I am willing to write several letters to one but I want some assurance that my letters are received and some polite notice taken of them before I write fifty or more to the same person - If he is too sick to write he ought to ask some of you to give us a message - Hammond & Dayton both tell me that Charley has been sick, indeed every time they write nearly, they say he is not well. I feel very uneasy about him and think he ought to come home to get cured up. It is possible that Tom Ewing will be with you by the time you receive this letter. If he is please give him the enclosed paragraph & tell him I had it published in the Missouri Republican Daily Weekly & Tri Weekly because I saw a false account of it in that paper

How can I hide away that money Cump? If the Goverment comes to such a pass that property in the Cities (on' which I would take mortages) is worth nothing then the "green backs" will be worth nothing.

That note will of course be paid in Treasury notes as gold is worth a fabulous price - I feel no fear

It will not be many years till Willy & Tommy grow large & strong enough to work for me if necessary - if poor Willy lives - but you know I have always had a fear at my heart that he would not live to grow to manhood. I feel it a great trial to have him away & can scarcely restrain myself from going up for him now. But I made up my mind it was for his good & I compel myself to quiet & resignation. I hope you have written to him, poor little fellow - They call him "the General" which I suppose pleases him. On going to my locked up treasures yesterday I found among them a little sketch you drew for me in '38 - two dogs - one drinking, beautifully done. In one corner you have written "to E. B. E." from "W. T. S. 1838" -. I intend to have it neatly framed in order to preserve it in future. I received a newspaper from Lawrenceburg Ind, with nine cents postage on it. It contained the resolutions of the 83rd Ind. & written in pencil mark "compliments of Ben Spooner Col 83rd Ind -" left Genl &c &c. I got it too late to send him any acknowledgement If you think of it please tell him I received it.

Boyle writes seldom. I wish you would write to Mr. Stanton your honest opinion of Maj Chase. Give my love to all.

As ever dearest Your truly affectionate,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 22, 1863 Sunday night
[1863/02/22]

[WTS]

Last evening dearest Cump I received the copy of your address to your St. Louis friends which has has more deeply impressed me with the fear that you may resign than even your letters to me & to Father. Nothing that you are capable of doing could cause me deep mortification except your resignation at this time. I implore you, by all you hold sacred & dear not to encourage the thought one moment longer. If you are weary & wish to have peace & rest, wait a little while longer until our prospects - I mean our Country's prospects are brighter & then you can with less discredit to yourself give up your labors in her cause. God who is my Judge knows how I long for that day of peace & rest for us but I would not have it at the price of the dishonor that would be ours were you to abandon your labors at a time when they are so much needed. In addition to the fact that you would be abandoning your country in her hour of peril do you not see that you would thus be giving your enemies - the correspondents - the triump they wish. "They will then have written you down." As it is they cannot injure your good name on the contrary it only shines brighter for all the rubs it gets. I have seen very little that you refer to. I see very few papers except the Commercial and Halstead has come out again in your favor and has gone to great pains to ascertain facts and lay them before the people. One whose reputation rests on the Secure basis of true worth cannot be injured by the hootings of the rabble - Besides you have so nobly steered your course heretofore guided by duty & high principle & unswerved by personal motives or desires that I have come to feel a kind of pride in the fact that you could withstand all the combined assaults of the unthinking & malicious. And now I cannot bear to See you succumb You have not been worse abused than Grant - It will soon pass - Think how many vicissitudes we have had now & all within two Short years! - You will be fully vindicated when the truth must be given to the public & until then the consciousness of having done well should sustain you. I do not like to See you put yourself in the category with McClellan, Porter & others - why not put in Fremont? Porter was cashierd by as good a court as Tom Worthington had & McClellan is in my estimation a traitor & I have not taken my opinion from the papers for they have been disgusting absolutely loathsome in their sickening adulation of a man who has never been within range of the enemy's balls - & never means to be -

If you feel that you cannot conscienciously conciliate correspondents I would not have you do it & if they are insolent to you I would like to See them kicked but how can you still hold McClellan & Porter as models when they encouraged & petted & fêted these Same correspondents? If it is unprincipled & disgusting how can you still admire these men who have been proved by able judges like Halleck to have done nothing else? Porter was as clearly proved a traitor as Jeff. Davis has been. I have a contempt for the whole batch of them - occasioned partly by the adulation not abuse of the papers & I would be cut to the quick to See you in the Same category by your own act. If it be right that he should be hung. I hope you will hang the correspondant but if you have not the power to visit justice upon him do not let him hang you - You have sailed through a worse storm than this has been - keep your eye on the guiding star of stern duty & let the wild waves make what commotion they may - you will ride triumphant into a glorious port at last. And may God who sees our hearts & motives sustain & reward you - These poor devils of correspondents are instigated by your enemies & not a few of them by that false hearted villian B. Stanton who Smarts under your letter. He would rejoice a thousand times rejoice in your resignation - do not give him that victory over you - A more auspicious time for a resignation will come very soon and then you can act without annoyance from these people - I tremble lest you have already done the act. If you have do recall it - if you have not wait to See me before you decide. But should it be done & be irrevocable you know I am ready as heretofore to go with you anywhere no matter how much I may dislike the place - But I would rather live in one room in Leavenworth than in any way that we can live in St. Louis - but if you have already irrevocably resigned use your own judgement in a choice. I was sick all day yesterday had I been well I would have started today to See you instead of writing. I sent Charley by express a box containing medecine which Mr. Stanbery recommends as curing him. Elly has ear ache to-day This is Monday morning. Tommy is at school - Father has not got home yet -

As ever yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
February 24, 1863
[1863/02/24]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I wrote you yesterday on the subject of your anticipated resignation. In the afternoon I received your letter Sent by Capt McCoy & feel much more at ease since I find you do not contemplate taking the step immediately. I feared you intended to act hastily in the matter & resign in the midst of the controversy on the newspaper question. After this has blown over & our cause brightens a little if you then think you would like to seek quiet & repose and lead a life of domestic comfort far removed from the bitter trials of the past year I cannot object. I would be sorry to have the country Sustain your loss but I would rejoice at my gain. For I too make my sacrifice & perform my act of heroism in giving you up to the Service of our country. I do not merely submit to your going but I cheerfully make my sacrifice for the Sake of the cause. I intended to Say in yesterday's letter, but it will do as well in this, that I sincerely hope you will sue the St. Louis Republican. The Commercial, except for a day or two, about the time the bad news began to come in, has been very friendly to you & I, consequently, have not seen all those reports you refer to. The Cin: Gazette is inimical through Tom Worthington's interest with his Sister & brother in law Mr. & Mrs Mansfield Mansfield controls the Spirit of the paper. They tried hard to fix the attack at Shiloh as a surprise & to attach the blame to you in the first instance. They have run well with Stanton, who works against you as unceasingly as the Devil works against us all. I am not surprised at the renewal of the charge of insanity - it was doubtless made by some correspondent in Stanton's interest. Stanton's friends some time ago let the fact leak out that he intended to get up that charge again. He is malicious & nothing would please him better than your resignation at a time when you are pressed & worried. I trust you will await a more auspicious hour for it. Proceed against the Missouri Republican at once. Give Father power to Sue in your name & will attend to it. Send us the charges.

I am very anxious for Charley to go on your Staff as In. Genl with Rank as Lieut. Col. unless Maj. Chase can be laid on the shelf. Tod is not sincere in his promise to give him a Colonelcy. He never can get one, at least not while Tod is in the Chair of State. I am preparing to move into the old Sherman house & will not expect you to call us from here before Fall. I will go to See Capt. McCoy at Columbus. I feel tempted to go down with him.

Love to all - as ever -

Ellen
[EES]

Neil House Columbus O.
March 2nd 1863
[1863/03/02]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I came here via Zanesville on Friday, arriving at ½ past one Saturday morning and after a short sleep (for me) got ready for the work of the day which was fill a trunk with knick knacks for you and Boyle & Charley & the gentlemen of your Staff & then find Capt. McCoy & put the trunk in his charge. He had written me that he would be here on Friday & Saturday, or at least that anything sent to Dr. Carter's on those days he would get. I sent to Mrs Carter's & he had not come & was not expected & Mrs Carter was out of town. I afterwards called there & Dr. Carter told me that Capt. McCoy would spend Tuesday - tomorrow in Cin: but I am afraid to send to him for fear he will not be there or for fear the trunk may not get to him in time. I filled it before I knew the Capt. was not coming & now it is filled I will send it by express as the Express agents in Cincinnati sent me word thro' James Slevin that they would take anything to you free - I am very much disappointed not to have Seen Capt. McCoy. I wanted to have a long talk about you all & I wanted him to assure you, as he could have done from personal observation that I am in no ways disheartened by newspaper abuse, but on the contrary, feel more proud of you than ever - I take some pleasure in the feeling of defiance because you have the real merits that will enable you to live them down. Not so Porter McClellan &c who had no true zeal in the cause but who have proved themselves to have been in league with the grand Democratic peace party. They have been electioneering - McC. has at least & play the veriest Demagogue ever since he was releived of command - drawing has pay all the time & making capital with the enemies in our midst. I beg you will for my sake never put your Spotless name in the same category with his again for I have a Supreme contempt for him for he has not even shown bravery to redeem his sins. Father had not got home when I left on Saturday. I think he will see that Boyle is not shuffled off the list of Brigadiers. You & Charley must do as you think best about the Staff appointment If Charley can have patience for another year we can get him a regiment or perhaps have him made Brigadier - I think the latter more likely - particularly should he get in another fight. If you are with them again I want you to make especial mention of the 13th I wish some one would send me Giles A Smith's report of the Arkansas Post affair. Please ask Hammond to do it. Dayton writes me very interesting letters. I wish he would write often. I send you a suit of light cloth as it will be warm down there. The Slippers Henrietta sends to Boyle. She also requested me to get the lemons for him. The Smaller cake is all for Charley & I want Boyle & Charley to have a share in everything, Please send the Small box of sardines & some of the cake to Major Chase with my regards. I have seen Hoyt & his wife - Hoyt grows like you. I will write by to days mail.

As eve

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
March 4, 1863
[1863/03/04]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

We feel so much anxiety about poor Charley that we cannot but urge you to Send him home for awhile to recruit his health. Do counsel the poor fellow to get a leave of absence and come to us that we may cure him. He could in the mean time be getting some recruits for the regiment for since the conscription act has passed many will be enlisting,

I wrote you from Columbus, and from Zanesville on my way home I wrote to Dayton telling him how I wished the contents of the trunk distributed. I was greatly disappointed at not seeing Capt McCoy but I could not have expected him here as his stay with his family was too short for me to expect any of it. But after he wrote me that he would be in Columbus Friday & Saturday and I went up to See him I did feel disappointed. However I may do better than that even - for I may get a chance to go down to See you - If it had not been for the moving coming on I would have met Capt McCoy in Cincinnati and gone down with him, I feel so anxious about your threat to resign and about poor Charley's health. Now that I have been over that route it seems a very easy trip to me and I stand in no terror of it, so you must not be Surprised to See me again. I got home with a very severe head ache yesterday and slept late this morning so my time for writing is short - I write always with the children about me and as I do not look over my letters they are probably full of errors. I wish you could see Rachel toddling about talking gesticulating and having everything her own way. She is the image of Willy but is more bold and self reliant, Elly is the most entertaining little thing I ever saw - She always gives me a message for dear Papa which I seldom send & she often writes to you herself & dispatches her letters by the boy charging him "not to stop on the way to Post Office "or he will be too late for the mail." After praying for Papa at night she asks God to bless Uncle Charley & bring him safe home

Ever dearest your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
March 7, 1863
[1863/03/07]

[WTS]

Yesterday dearest Cump was Charley's birthday and I wrote him a long letter which I hope he will receive promptly and answer too. I have written to you since my little trip to Columbus whither I went on a fruitless errand as far as communicating with you or directly from you is concerned. I was repaid for the trouble and fatigue of the trip by the pleasure which it afforded poor Mother to See me. I found her still in durance vile but bearing her close confinement and her banishment from home with great resignation. She sometimes gets very nervous and uneasy about you all at Vicksburg & some days after the bad news began to come in from there she got into such a state about Charley that she determined to releive her anxiety by motion & change if she had to walk home. Fortunately Sis went up to her at that precise time & found her in the City with her trunks packed ready to come. Since we received letters from you she feels satisfied but of course we must all suffer many a heartache & sickening dread in looking to the future. Our trust is firm in God who has so long showered blessings upon us, and preserved you amid so many perils.

Father got home yesterday after many delays. He is very well & felt but little fatigued from the long journey although he took no rest on the way. His health has been remarkably good all winter and he is looking as well as he ever did in his life. We are very thankful. Father has not yet had time to read all his letters or all that we have from you on the newspaper correspondance, but he is wroth at them & fully agrees with you on the subject and says something must be done to abate or abolish the nuisance. He wants you to Send him power of attorney or whatever it may be so that he can bring suit against the Cin: Gazette. It has done more against you than any other paper in the country - has pursued you with a deeper more bitter unrelenting hatred than any other & it is more generally taken by the sober minded class of old whigs merchants and country people - I did not think of a Suit against them but I spoke to Father about the Spirit of the paper which is doubtless influenced by Mr. Mansfield through Tom Worthington. He instantly said that it would be better on all accounts to sue them at the Same time you sue the Missouri Republican. Attend to this dear Cump at once & I promise you they will consider next time before they enter into a conspiracy against you.

The Commercial is friendly. I told you of the letters I have had from Mr. Halstead the Editor.

Henrietta received by Father five thousand dollars which her Father sent her. She has kept eight hundred out for housekeeper & furniture & will go to Cincinnati next week to Select the furniture buy linen &c. She has rented the house which Mr Slocum has lately lived in. The Slocums are going to live with Dr & Mrs. White as Julia is their only daughter and all their sons have left home. The old Dr. is nearly, if not quite blind & Mrs. White spends all her time reading to him & waiting on him.

There is no doubt but that Boyle's nomination will be confirmed by the Senate - The only danger to it has been that the President might leave his name off in reducing the list, but he did not at any time - His name is first of the Ohio nominations & has been reserved on even the most reduced list. Give my love to all and tell Hugh I will write to him in a day or two. I have best news from dear Minnie & Willy. The latter I take it for granted has scuffled kicked & played enough for he has worn out all his pants & I am officially notified that "Master Wm. T. Sherman needs two more pairs of pants" to scuffle kick & play in I have just received Col T. Kilby's letters. It is too late for this session but I will send them on without delay. Be kind as you can to poor Charley

As ever faithfully Yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
March 9, 1863
[1863/03/09]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I have tired myself writing, having just made two copies of your long letter on the newspaper Spies, to Father of Feb 17th. One copy I have made for my friend Halstead of the Commercial & the other copy is to be kept here. The original letter Father intends sending by today's mail to the War Department. Father feels the evils that may arise & have arisen from the nuisances and he seems fully bent upon, doing his share to rid the country & cause of the danger. I must acknowledge myself completely converted to your opinion on the subject, Indeed I never had looked upon it in the very serious light in which you have presented it but I had thought with John Sherman that your objection to them was a mere repugnance to playing the demagogue to the slight degree of simply tolerating them. As in other things, the general conviction must soon coincide with you as you are as usual in advance of the times. As I have told you so often, time will set you right in history & prove you to have been as Halstead says, "prescient as loyal" whilst your enemies by their outcries add one of the ingredients of fame - as Father told Stanton. Father thinks the proper way to put down the correspondents is to Sue the papers which publish their falsehoods & then prefer charges against the officers who encouraged their presence in camp. He is waiting to hear from you to bring suit against the St. Louis Republican & the Cincinnati Gazette - Do not delay sending it as this is the time to Strike them. I think as you say they have made capital enough at your expense they ought to pay us something for it. I got your good letters of the 22nd and 26th of Feb. We had a good laugh at home over your accusation of my "excessive vanity of Elly" - They had never discovered it and they were a little amused as I was myself with the charge. It must be true as you are generally very penetrating. Then I will say in my own defense that many a Mother is excessively vain of much less pretty & less interesting children & that if vain of her I do not indulge her in consequence. I am more proud of you than of anything in the world have you ever discovered that? Of course you have so don't deny it. Of course Cump you are too good not to remember our past lives & its varied incidents with which the dear children are associated but you should remember that it is in communicating to one another, such feelings that we poor mortals find our happiness - Stern men must condescend to those things for the greater happiness of those they love those who depend on their love -

I must write to Boyle this morning but will write you soon again. Tell Col. Stuart, if you wish, that Father wrote to the War Department in his behalf when he found there was some question about confirming his nomination. What a bitter pill for Genl Hurlbut should he not be confirmed - especially as Frank Blair is a Maj. Genl!! I was amazed to hear Ord insinuate against Genl Hurlbut. I think it was owing to prejudice. I could write all day but I will be too late for the mail if I do not write now to Boyle.

Love to all as ever,

Ellen-
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
March 21, 1863
[1863/03/21]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

Mother got home yesterday but is in bed being unable to Sit up all day. We are all well except poor little Rachel who has a bad attack of asthma. Tommy has just recd a tent from Capt. Cornyn which he & Willy will doubtless live in during the Summer. I have had recent letters from Willy & Minnie & they are doing finely.

I will write you a long letter tomorrow. Charley seldom writes to me. Mr. Lucas sent Father & me ten papers each & wrote me a very kind letter - I suppose he sent you one of the papers. I replied to his letter promptly

As ever dearest,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
March 23, 1863
[1863/03/23]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

On Saturday I had the happiness of receiving your letter of 13th. You did not tell me that you enjoyed the cake I sent in the trunk but I hope you did as I know you are fond of that kind of cake. I do not think it unwholesome & so was not afraid to Send one to Charley so soon after the box of medicine. Father was very glad to hear from you but provoked that you are left without proper Staff Officers. He said he would write to Halleck or Stanton about it. I spoke to you of the Missouri Republican ten copies of which Mr. Lucas had sent to me & ten to Father. I suppose he sent you at least one copy. He wrote to me that he had sent to many of the papers & to California. It is quite a long article - but throws the blame of their abuse and unjustice upon the luckless correspondant.

Tom Hunter got home on Friday very much reduced in strength & flesh. His Father & Mother feel uneasy about him and feel deeply grateful to Boyle for his notice of him. He brought a Splendid tent for Tommy, a present from Capt. Cornyn. It is to be put up in Gran Pa's yard under the apple trees & he and Willy are to Sleep there when Willy comes home - they will forage. Tom thinks - such at least are his arrangements.

Willy & Minnie are delighted to hear that we are going to live at Grand Pa's. They are to have "Bob" the pony to ride to their heart's content.

Spring is coming now and one really feels like getting out of dusty old winter quarters. I am doing something towards moving & expect to be in Father's next week. The old house would have required more repair than I could have put on it for a short occupancy and as I cannot be permanantly Settled here I would rather Spend the Summers with Father & the winters in the City where the children may be at school. I do not like to be thus Seperated from them & from you too. I shall hail with true delight the happy hour when you can with honor retire from the service & Settle down quietly with us. You will find your daughters a source of great pleasure to you, they are so affectionate & good, so much more amiable & loveable than their Mother. It would do you good to See the little ones too, how prettily the play & how fond the older ones are of them. Tommy doats on Elly & Rachel & they evidently think him a prodigy. Willy will be a wonderful fellow in their eyes when he returns from College. I enclose a few verses which I have copied for Charley which I want you to read before you give them to him.

Ever your affectionate,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
March 26, 1863
[1863/03/26]

[WTS]

On Saturday, dearest Cump, I received your letter enclosing one from Ord & one from Gantt. It was on Tuesday & not Saturday. Yesterday was a holiday and I thought for the moment it had been Sunday. You will be agreeably surprised I know to hear that Hugh has been confirmed & moreover that he never was in any sort of danger of non confirmation. Mr Stanton told Father that his name had never been removed from the list even when it had been reduced to fifty & the only thing to have been apprehended was that the President would take off his name to make room for some political aspirant. What made you all think so long beforehand that he would be dropped? He seems to have made his plans entirely with reference to that event. We were shocked and chagrined to hear of Col. Stuart's rejection but we feel certain that he will be renominated by the President* to-day and quoting from your letter to me about Col. Stuart. Why do you suppose he was rejected? Because of his connexion with that divorce case in Chicago some years ago! Great reason because an innocent man had been accused of committing adultery that he should therefore be rejected as General, after his faithful services to his country. Some of our pharasiacal Yankee brother did it. Cowen of Pa. to whom Father had written about Stuart the moment he heard he was in danger answered him to this effect & indulged in many expressions of indignation & abuse against the Yankees Should Col. Stuart be gone I hope you will be able to put Boyle in command of the Division. Charley then would be under his brother under his brother in law - most agreeable commanders to him. I am very glad Charley likes his Brigade commander Col. Giles A. Smith. I thought him a gallant fellow. I fear Gen'l Morgan L. will be confined a long time I will either write to him or send him something if I do not go down to Memphis. I wrote to Gen'l Hurlbut that I might make my appearance in that vicinity & asked if he could forward me to you I suppose you would feel so disgusted were I actually to make my appearance there that you would give up & come home. Well I would not object. When you can come I will feel happy I assure you. I have not sent Ord's & Gantt's letters to John yet for he has been in Columbus. I do not like to Send Gantts & think I will not as he Speaks of the Members & Senators being all mediocre He is a Snarling Sneering individual and probably thinks no one Smart or good but himself - he is certainly Smart enough & very agreeable - but I attach but little importance to his opinions. As to Ord - I am sorry to see him writing as he does - it is an evidence to me that he is in league consciously or unconsciously with our enemies. The man - the officer of sense & education who can so laud McClellan & Buell is but little if any better than they and in the face of Halleck's letter & Gen'l Hitchcocks evidence it is a participation in his crime of disloyalty to sustain or defend him Buell has been in league with Seward McClellan & Southern peace anti war Schemers, since they first began their efforts to break you down in Kentucky. Since the day I saw McClellan's dispatches to you at Louisville I have loathed him as a traitor.

Buell was his selection for that place before he got you quite out & what has Buell ever done that was not in accordance with McC. & the peace party's policy? Nothing. His tardy appearance at Shiloh has never been explained & the most he has to Say about it is to Sneer at "Grants' rabble" - Morton Johnson & Holt are patriots - Judge Thompson of Cal. is a Secessionist & I fear Ord is no better or will be drawn by them into trouble. Talk of buying Newspapers! who had the New York Herald & other Democratic journals in his interest & who was sold to them so that he must & would entertain their correspondants when he could not see Generals who had come from their departments to See him? McClellan I should think his disgusting demagogueism Since his removal would make you loath & contemn him

I am sorry for Ord & dont wish to See him. I think he is misguided or wilfully desires to draw you into trouble.

All are well and busy moving. Love to all. I do so love to get your letters. I hope you will write often

Ever your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
April 2, 1863
[1863/04/02]

[WTS]

I scarcely can write to you, dearest Cump, at such a time as this when I am so uncertain as to your whereabouts and uneasy as to your fate. First we had rumors that you had gone with your Division up the Yazoo & now a rumor, (but contradicted) that you have come down with Admiral Porter having been unsuccessful. I wait with great anxiety but one thing I always know - that you have done the best that could be done under the circumstances. If only your dear life is Spared to us I can bear everything else for I will never have anything to attribute to you but what is purely honorable upright and wise - I trust God will preserve dear Boyle & Charley. I think Charley ought to have written to me more but if he will not confer that pleasure I cannot help it. Life's pleasures are few enough - we might as well do what we can to make one another happy, but if Charley dont choose to Shew me that kindness I cant make him - Give him my love & tell him how glad I am to know he is well again. As long as you bear me out in my trouble with Elizabeth Reese I will not complain of anything. I do not know that such is the case but I have reason to Suppose that John Sherman has espoused the quarrel against me or that he has had his mind poisoned in some way. I will give you my reasons for my impression in my next letter for by that time I will know certainly. You must not think my dearest that I keep my heart hardened against your Sister or that I keep this thing open by talking. I never say a word on the subject now and my reason for avoiding intercourse was to avoid quarrels - One thing I cannot endure & that is to have her write to you or you write to her whilst she holds herself in the attitude she does to me & boasts of her children's disrespect to me. I told you how Henry had treated me in regard to the Photograph of Sword. After four weeks passed & I heard nothing of it I wrote a demand note & sent it to James Slevin & he called at Henry's Office & presented it. Then Henry wrote to me in brief terms that he had left the Photograph on the Steam Boat but when she came into port again he would see about it & let me know. That is the last I have ever heard of that - & I suppose the last I ever will hear. One day lately Elizabeth Sent to Mary Ewing to get your address. I presume she intends to write to you again to endeavour to get you to drop me -

I have been so worn out & disheartened moving again that I think I will not soon attempt housekeeping As I have no baby now I think I will try boarding for awhile. I am boarding now. Sis is housekeeper & I have nothing to do with affairs except to pay my share of expenses. Minnie & Willy are delighted that we have come here. They have improved very much lately in their letters, particularly Willy. As I write now Tommy is out at play with the boys it being recess in Kate's School. They are throwing ball & poor Tom goes it with his left hand. Rachel is sleeping on my bed. Elly is singing "Brave boys are they - gone at their countrys call - and yet, and yet, we cannot forget - that many brave boys must fall" - Lizzie had just used her dumb bells & put them away. She is improving. All send love to dear dear Papa and hope to See him home. Give my love to Boyle & tell him his little family are well.

Ever dearest your truly affectionate

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
April 4, 1863
[1863/04/04]

[WTS]

Day before yesterday I wrote you dearest Cump and I am still in the Same State of suspense as to your movements and your whereabouts. The papers still give us contradictory news; the Memphis Bulletin asserting that you have possession of Haines Bluff and the Argus that you have gone back to Young's Point. From these two papers the Cincinnati papers quote. I have found out at last the principal cause of the animosity of the Cin; Gazette to you - they look upon you as a supporter of McClellan & they know him to be in intrigue with a political combination for personal aggrandisement. They are certainly not to blame in denouncing in the bitterest terms all who aid him in his demagogueism and as they really beleived you to be one I do not blame them. I told them - or one of them - who called to See me that they were entirely mistaken that you would not say aught against McClellan but you did not conceive it your business to uphold or defend him, & that you were not one of his "Supportors" in the Sense in which other Army Officers have declared themselves McClellan has openly & shamefully played the Demagogue since his removal from command. I sent your letter from Ord to John Sherman as you directed but I did not like to send him Gantt's letter for the reasons I gave you in my last. John has never sent me those papers you requested him to Send me in regard to the Vicksburg Assault of the 29th Dec - I wrote to him for them lately but he has taken no notice of my letter. I also wrote to him to be kind enough to return to me the letters &c of Col. Kilby Smith but I have not heard from him and as I told you before I suspect that he intends to cut me - Let him - so long you are true it makes no heart sick impression upon me. In truth it seems to me we have had so many disappointments that I have no hope and reliance except you & the children & my Good God - Hammond arrived on Thursday and left yesterday - He was very agreeable and we all enjoyed his visit - Father & all. Hammond tells me that before he left Frank Blair shewed him a copy of a letter he had written to his brother urging him to get you placed at the head of affairs down - there & lauding you to the Skies. I know that the Blairs understand your capacity and I really beleive they wish to see you elevated. Use Frank Blair as a friend - he is at least a loyal man & that is more than your St. Louis friends can boast of themselves I like him better than I do them for that reason and I know he is brave. Pray do not offend him Cump. The time is coming when we may need friends. Hammond says that New York Herald man is going back with Lincoln's Sanction. Lincoln has no more sense that to pet a dog at the risk of the best men of the nation but he is too weak a man to notice & the corresponandt is beneath contempt. I think your friend Grant Sustained Knox. What think you? Hoyt Sherman tells me they are friends - intimate friends! The children are in fine health both here & at Notre Dame. I go with Lizzie to Cin: to See the Doctor again on the 13th. I may run down to See you at Young's point - make you a flying visit. We are comfortably fixed at Fathers -

As ever your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
April 7, 1863
[1863/04/07]

[WTS]

This, dearest Cump, is the anniversary of the second day's fighting at Shiloh - yesterday the day you saved our army from destruction. To my great joy I received a letter from you yesterday, dated March 26th & giving me the true version of your affair up Deer Creek which as you supposed had been reported by the papers as another failure I look forward to the arrival of the mail today with anticipation of a good long letter from you. I never expect to hear from Charley again. Hammond tells me that he writes a great deal - if so his correspondents are out of the family for we very seldom hear from him except through others. I am very busy now with Spring sewing & consequently will not write to him. Had I letters from him occasionally or did he answer one in six of mine I would not let sewing or anything else prevent my writing to him. I suppose Henrietta will hear from Boyle all about the expidition. He wrote to her on the way up black bayou. You have heard of his confirmation by the senate. Did I tell you what Cowen of Pen: told Father about Col. Stuart? He told him (in answer to Father's letter) that the Yankees had actually rejected him on account of his connexion with that divorce case in Chicago! Did you ever hear of a greater absurdity? I hope he will be reappointed. Have you written to Halleck about him? If you have not you ought to write to him or to Stanton & have him reappointed. Do you know that Tom Ewing was nominated & confirmed Brigadier within a half hour of the adjournment of the Senate? He will probably be stationed at Fort Leavenworth. I received a letter yesterday from Mrs. Swords which I will enclose to you. Can't you ask John or Halleck to urge the Colonel's promotion? What has become of Prime? You never mention him now. Are you not good friends yet? You will fine enclosed a slip from the Cin: Commercial, which will possible enlighten you in regard to McClellan. Remember the Commercial has been owned by him in the Sense in which Ord says papers are owned by others - It has made a dumb idol of him and offered him incense daily in the most disgusting manner. For the Sake of your children, whose honor & well being you value so highly, never speak in his praise until he redeems himself - that is almost impossible

We are all Snugly established at Father's and the children are very happy. Father is delighted to have us and indeed he was so anxious to have us come that I had not the heart to refuse him. The old house would have required a good deal of repair & gas fitting and it is not large enough to accommodate us all and a governess. I will have to put the children away from me to Schools again in the winter or go with them to a City. I hope to be able to Spend the winter with you in some Southern City but if I cannot I will go with the children to Cincinnati & either board or hire a furnished house. All send love to dear Papa -

Ever your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
April 13, 1863
[1863/04/13]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

Father goes to Washington today and tomorrow I take Lizzie to Cincinnati to See the Doctor again. From Washington Father will telegraph me whether I would be likely to See you if I should go down and if you are not off on some excursion I will take a trip down and spend a few days with you. We think it probably that you have brought a force up to Memphis & from there have gone to break the roads east of Vicksburg. Father says he can ascertain as soon as he gets to the War Department. I am very anxious to See you again and could go down & return on the Same boat from Memphis. In Memphis Gen'l Hurlbut & John McCracken would take care of me. Indeed I would feel quite at home there where you have so many warm friends. I am in hopes that we can spend next winter with you in some Southern City perhaps Vicksburg perhaps New Orleans. It would be delightful. Keep the 13th near you all the time for I want to See them again. Father says he will speak to the President about Gen'l Stuart and see if he will not reappoint him. Father wrote to him but I suppose he seldom reads letters that are addressed to him. When I was in Washington in Feb '62 John Sherman said he did'nt beleive Lincoln had read a letter for a month. Father said if he had only known there was any danger of Stuart's confirmation he could have Secured it and he would have remained there for that purpose, Father opposed Tom's promotion on the ground of his short term of service & intended to Secure Charley's promotion if possible but how he feels some delicacy in soliciting for other appointments having three Generals in his family. We are very proud of Charley I assure you and I know you must value him most highly as young men of his pure metal are scarce You would think so if you could see the Shoulder straps come down for breakfast at nine & ten at the hotels - drawing pay from the Government and doing nothing but dissipate. Father was so much pleased with Charley's letter about the Deer Creek Expedition that he sent a copy of it to Sec Stanton.

Rachel has just come in with a gash in her cheek cut in falling from her carriage. She did not offer to cry. I have sent her to the Doctor to have it plastered over, after first being certain there is nothing in it. She is a soldier & I wonder her spirit was not put into a boy's body. Love to all and beleive me ever

Your truly affectionate,

Ellen
[EES]

Cincinnati Ohio.,
April 19, 1863
[1863/04/19]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I came down here on Tuesday and have been, ever since, as hard at work as a ploughman and my sole business has been shopping. Two or three ladies came down from Lancaster & John brought Cecelia here, and we have been "shopping alone & shopping together at all sorts of hours & in all sorts of weather." I am tired out & feel glad all my commissions have been filled & all the money I allowed myself has been Spent. I will now take a day or two for enjoyment and then go home disappointed that I cannot go on from here to make you a flying visit. Cecelia has just come in to ask whether we would prefer the opera or "Toodles" tomorrow night - (this is Sunday) as Henry Reese is in their room and will engage seats early in the morning. John & Cecelia went to Church with me this morning. Philemon, Mr Hunter, John, Cecelia, Lizzie & I took up the whole of Mr Slevin's pew. He was delighted to surrender it to us and took seats with his sons, in a pew opposite. John & Cecelia came down just to meet me and had I been able to go down the river without danger of guerillas they would have gone with me. I thought when I left home that it would be a real pleasure to get aboard a good boat & glide down the river. I did not expect to go ashore for a night at Young's Point but supposed the Boat would lie there two or three days & the happiness of seeing you for that brief period would have repaid me for any amount of trouble & inconvenience on any trip. But Gen'l Burnside & others advise so strongly against it that I have concluded it will not do to go down, particularly since I received your letter on Friday. I told Gen'l Burnside what you said about my having "too much sense to be in earnest" about going down. He knew that I had not so he laughed heartily at your speech. Mr Mellon, Sec Chase's Agent went down on Thursday & took his wife with him. Capt Hurtt the Quarter Master here sent word to me as soon as he knew it & afterwards finding that the Boat would be detained an hour he came & told me but I could not then get ready in time. When I afterwards received your letter I was glad I had not gone. I had to get a hat here for Minnie & as I expected when I left home to go to Young's Point from here I brought some dresses which we had made to Send up from here with the hat. I could not take them with me & I could not start without having sent them, so fortunately I did not avail myself of the opportunity. I say fortunately because I know now it would not have been agreeable to you to have me go there. Philemon came down from home yesterday. The pony had arrived the day before. Of course Tommy was charmed but not more so than I. A pony is the very thing I have been wishing for. Father has promised "Bob" for the children's use this Summer but there might be some mistake about him & besides there will be so many children to ride that one pony would not satisfy them all the Same day. Thank Charley for the present for me. When I go home I suppose the Corporal will have me write a letter of thanks for him.

I sent from here a box of pickles of the best kind and had them directed to Mr. Fish to be forwarded to you. I hope you will enjoy them. Give a bottle to Major Chase from me and let Charley & Boyle have some. I am deeply distressed & anxious about Boyle. I will not intimate to any one what you told me but I must implore you Cump to lose no time - not an hour - in correcting the matter and thoroughly too. It will not do & you must be stern & severe if necessary. I pray most earnestly that your efforts have been effectual even before this. I enclose you a letter cut from yesterday's Gazette and I beg that you will lose no time in sending on to Father power of attorney to institute suit against them. He wished to do it even before this & he will be confirmed in his beleif that it ought to be done now. Please do this - they are assailing you in pure malice so let them pay for it. Father went to Washington last Monday - that is he started on Monday & returned on Saturday - Philemon just saw him a moment before starting - he stood the journey well. He is quite full of business. Lizzie is improving finely the Doctor says. She is delighted to See her Uncle John - she says "it seems so much like having Papa here." I will write to Charley & Boyle this evening.

Beleive me ever faithfully & fondly yours,

Ellen. -
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
April 28, 1863 Tuesday evening
[1863/04/28]

[WTS]

To my great gratification dearest Cump, I received to-day your long & welcome letter of the 17th. On that day I was in Cincinnati and had just made up my mind to forego the happiness of a visit to you. It was a great disappointment to me but when I reflect that my coming would have been a mortification to you I feel reconciled. I thought that I could slip down quietly & spend two or three days there on the boat and return without attracting attention or giving Scandal to any one. But General Burnside advised against it and John said all with whom he conversed on the subject did the Same and then your letter came saying that you knew I had "too much sense to come." On the whole I thought it poor encouragement and was glad I had not been so imprudent. I feel distressed and uneasy since I know your opinion of the movement just taking place before Vicksburg. My confidence in your judgement is so implicit that I shudder when you condemn. My trust is in the Mercy of God and to Him I look to restore you to us. I cannot with any composure contemplate an utter defeat to our arms down there. Only think of our agony of suspense when the lives & liberties of our dear one are at stake. And you are so rash and risk your life so constantly. One consolation I have - that should you ever be taken prisoner you will be kindly treated by the rebels - for all southern people - whether loyal or not know your real worth and admire you. All who have ever known you intimately have a warm regard for you which time & distance and opposition can never overcome. I am heartily rejoiced to hear that Boyle and Charley are so well. They are happy to be with you & it is a source of great satisfaction to us to have them so near you. I know you will shew them ever the truest kindness. Col Kilby Smith has written me another long and most entertaining letter - entertaining because you were his theme - your woman's heart beneath your austere manners & your heroic courage. He sent me some seeds of the vine that grew by your window at Young's point. I will plant them and watch them with deep interest & if they bloom their flowers shall speak to me of my early and undying love for you - of the love that bloomed in the Spring time of life not to wither & die but to grow stronger & stronger until my very life depends on it. The Colonel's attentions are very delicate & I wish you would tell him that I appreciate them. I will try & write to him soon. Since I came up from Cincinnati I have not been very well & yesterday I was confined to my bed & almost to one position I had such violent rheumatism. I am much better to day and* Boyle writes to Henrietta that you had not been well for a few days. I sincerely hope you have not suffered again with that miserable asthma. I often think of your long & terrible sufferings dear Cump with that distressing complaint & wonder if I realised sufficiently your state of pain & if I did all that I could & should have done to alleviate it. And the hardships and privations you are enduring now - I can scarcely bear to think of them or to dwell upon your desire to be with your own little family, it gives me a pang which patriotism & love for your honor alone can soothe. Your honor is untainted your record not only clean but bright and so long as you have the health & nerve to Steer your straight course I must reconcile myself to the loss of your society & the want of a home - at least whilst the country is in such sore need of your services. I must own to many secret longings for the end of all these troubles or for the time when you can with propriety & honor retire to a quiet & I trust a happy home. You will be more than satisfied with your children they love you devotedly and they are obedient & good - even Tommy has grown to a quiet obedient boy constantly overcoming his propensity to ill humor & disobedence Minnie sent the enclosed letter to me to forward to you. About a month ago I sent a box of "good things" to Willy. He wrote me that he liked the home-made sugar, the candy the taffy &c but he "liked the almonds best of all." He divided the things with Tommy Ewing first & then had "scrabblings with the little boys," for the rest; & the day after the box arrived there were none of the contents left, Minnie writes me that Willy is very happy and full of life. He has had more good out door exercise and rough play up there than he would have had at home & he feels the benefit of them. I am growing very anxious to See them & as Minnie says I think I will go up early in June. They will be home the last of June. I am not without hope that I may be able to Spend the winter with you either in Vicksburg New Orleans or some conquered City. Mother continues to be a great invalid so much so that we begin to apprehend serious consequences. A few weeks longer will certainly produce some great change. Her death would be sad enough of itself but Father could not survive her long - he is too old now to endure such a grief without succumbing. We are doing all in our power for her health and spirits but she is not yet able to Sit up. Father is always so sanguine and so unwilling to anticipate evil that he keeps a determined hope that She will soon be well, but as I said before, we are uneasy. Tell Boyle & Charley what I say about her & have them write to her cheerful letters, hoping for her recovery for she is rather depressed and apprehensive herself. Father is deeply interested in Col. Stuart & says had he known that he was in any danger he would have remained in Washington & secured his confirmation. He has just got home from Washington & whilst there talked with Sec Stanton about Col. Stuart & the Sec. said that if he would remain in the service he would have him renominated & confirmed. I told Father that he could not remain as he was thrown out of service by the failure to confirm - if I am right please say so & explain so that I may tell Father. All send best & fondest love. Give my love to Charley & Boyle &

beleive me ever faithfully yours

Ellen
[EES]

[April or May of 1863]
[1863/04/00]

Dearest Cump:
[WTS]

I send by this day's Express a box containing three cans of grated horse radish one for you one for Charley & one for Boyle. I also send some in stick & a couple of cans of peaches & a book with yesterdays paper containing the Confirmation of Boyle among others. Father has written about Col. Stuart and I have sent on Col. Smith's papers. I am just starting to Cincinnati with Lizzie to consult a Doctor about her deafness. I will write you from there.

As ever,

Ellen.
[EES]

[May 1, 1863]
[1863/05/01]

[WTS]

A lovely day, dearest Cump - the 13th anniversary of our wedding - and you are 13 times more dear to me than you ever were before. Would that I could see you if only for a day!

I intended to write you a long letter but I unconsciously wandered about the yard with Elly & Rachel Tommy & Lizzie until it is now too late. May Heaven bless you my dearest love & may the Mother of our Savior take you to her loving heart & intercede for you with her son

Yours ever

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
May 13, 1863
[1863/05/13]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

When it is so uncertain whether my letters will reach you I feel but little in the humor of writing. Your letters have done me a great deal of good lately & they have all come in due time. Your last of May 2nd was received on the 11th day before yesterday. The package of money came also to hand quite safely and in due time. You will be a little put out when I tell you that my Leavenworth property was sold for taxes and that it cost me $225 to redeem it and pay taxes. I let Philemon have my last note and he gave me mortgage of property in Stoddard Addition which he wishes to exchange after awhile for Cincinnati notes covered by mortgage. He is selling Cincinnati property now & it is selling very well.

Father has a fine team now and we have delightful rides. Father bought a mare to match Puss. Two or three of the mares at the farm will have colts after awhile and then Father says you can have one of them if you wish.

Hammond sent me from Cincinnati a splendid set of Lava - bracelet with six sets & a magnificent pin. I will keep them for Minnie. He had them cut in Italy & set in New York. He said he would send "Ugly" up here to rusticate & if he does we will ride him & drive him in the pheaton. Minnie & Willy will not be home until the very last day of June or first of July I am going up with Lizzie & Tommy early in June. They are very happy but we all wish very much to see them. Ellen Cox will be here soon but she is to Stop at Mrs. Connel's as Mother is too sick to admit of her coming here. Father is very anxious to see his nineteen grand children all under his roof at the Same time.

I will write you soon again. Dayton is improving. He is a good fellow.

All the children are in fine health.

As ever yours

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
May 22, 1863
[1863/05/22]

[WTS]

I scarcely feel like writing dearest Cump until we hear from you again. We have news of the capture of Jackson Miss. and a rumor of the evacuation of Vicksburg - this may be true as regards the infantry which has probably gone out to join rebel forces from another direction to attack you. We are on the qui vive for news & I need not tell you that I am feeling the greatest anxiety. I have told you of Mother's rescue from death & of my own fearful apprehensions. It requires my utmost effort to keep my mind calm and clear. I am going to Columbus soon to consult Dr. Carter. The children will not be home before the very last of June or the first of July. I hope to go for them unless the Doctor forbids the journey. Willy has become more vivacious & full of fun since he went up there - Dear Minnie is the Same good child she always was -full of affection for us all - her Grand Ma doats on her. The children at home are remarkably well even Lizzie is growing fat. By this time Hammond is near you if not with you. Tell him I have nice drives with "Ugly" in the pheaton. I will take good care of the old fellow. Hammond sent me some splendid lava I have written twice in the last week to Charley. Please shew him this if he has not got my letters. I have written to Boyle too.

As ever.

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
May 25, 1863
[1863/05/25]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

At Boyle's oft repeated & very urgent request I have succeeded in getting a Priest to go down to his Brigade. You will I well know do me the kindness to shew him all the attention in your power & to give him every opportunity to visit the Soldiers & administer the Sacraments to all who may wish to receive them. Would to God I could have the happiness of knowing that your dear Soul was washed and strengthened by the Sacraments. We are rejoicing over news from Vicksburg & anxiously await more.

Ever your truly affectionate

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
June 5, 1863
[1863/06/05]

[WTS]

Until I heard from you, dearest Cump, I really could not write. You cannot imagine what a weight of anxiety is lifted from my heart even though you may yet be in danger. Still to know that you & Boyle & dear Charley passed those terrible assaults unharmed is joy indeed for us & should make us grateful forever to God who in mercy has spared you. My pride & pleasure on hearing of Charley's noble daring & successful bravery is unbounded & I wait for your mention of him in the report with great interest. Could you all see us now & know the pride we feel in you, the joy that filled our hearts at the news of your safety & the satisfaction we experience in knowing that ours have the skill talent & courage & the honor of defending the just cause in such trying situations you would in some measure feel repaid for the privations & hardships you endure.

On Wednesday, after many days of anxious watching for news Dayton left & that very day I recd your first letter of 19th written in pencil, That night - the 3rd - I got your dispatch of the 26th May & yesterday we recd your letter of the 25th. one from Charley to Father of the 26th and a very interesting one from Capt. Cornyn of the 26th. The family gathered in & they have all been read & re read with tears of joy. Father has been intensely anxious, feeling that we could scarcely hope, except by a miracle of mercy to have you all three escape without some severe wound if indeed your lives were all spared. I am very sorry for Capt. Washington but trust he is still living

Tom Ewing is here for a day or two. He was at St. Louis on business & came on to See Mother as we cannot feel certain that she is out of all danger. I will send your report to John as soon as we all read it today. Give my best love to dear Boyle & Charley & tell them we will write to them immediately. All the children are well. As soon as we hear that you have taken Vicksburg I will go up for Minnie & Willy I cant leave before for I am too anxious.

As ever faithfully yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
June 8, 1863
[1863/06/08]

[WTS]

This is Willy's birth=day, dearest Cump - nine years old to=day and poor little fellow has been at school away from home nine months. He is very happy there however and I am convinced that it has been advantageous to his health; he has more good hard out door plays there more regular plays and more play=mates than he would or could have had here. The boys who play on the streets here are subject to the intrusion of very bad boys indeed rude violent fellows generally rule the plays & it often ends by the Mashall taking off some of them to jail & silencing the rest for a period. As far as I can see, the sports & pleasures that boys used to love here are no longer indulged in any more than in cities. I heartily wish I could live at Notre Dame with the children - or rather at South Bend which is only two or three miles off. But I could not leave Father & Mother except to go to you and up there I would feel that I was further off from you than I am here. I dreamed very vividly last night of seeing dear Willy. I thought he came to me & in answer to my exclamation of surprise he said "Papa brought him." He wrote to Lizzie that he had written to Papa by Father Carrier. I trust in God, Father Carrier will get down there in time to prepare many a poor soul for the last dread journey. Do dearest Cump, give the not only the Sick but the well of your command every opportunity of receiving the sacraments. When will the time come for you to enjoy that happiness! I trust & pray it may be soon. Dear Minnie has made her first communion after the most fervent preperation. She was also confirmed, but a few days after she had the happiness of making her first communion. Minnie is a lovely character and I thank God that he has given us such a child. I beleive they will all be to us blessings. The work of my life shall be to endeavour, with God's grace, to rear them so that not one may prove a source of unhappiness or misery to us, or of anything but pride to their friends. I wish you could be with them now I know you would enjoy their speeches & capers be happy to see their rapid developement. Poor little Rachel called Uncle Tom "Papa" by a kind of instinct she seems to know that she has a papa. I suppose she notices the others when they talk of "Papa".

We have been truly happy to receive your two letters & Charleys to Father & Mother. Philemon received a letter from Boyle but Henrietta has not heard from him yet. By this time Hammond has joined you. Did I tell you what a very handsome set of lava he sent me from Cincinnati? I hope you will make Dayton & not McCoy your senior Aid with rank Major. One more devoted or anxious to Serve you does not live than Dayton whereas I never saw a single evidence of zeal or great usefulness on the part of McCoy. He has been a very intemperate man but it is to his credit if he continue sober now I enclose a letter which the Corporal wrote to his Captain - with his right hand too - best love to them.

As ever your truly aff'

Ellen -
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
June 9, 1863 Tuesday morning
[1863/06/09]

[WTS]

Yesterday, dearest Cump, I received your letter of the 28th ult. & was sorry to find it not as cheering as your other letters which had done us so much good. You seem to feel worried and somewhat depressed and not so sanguine of the result of your terrible labors there as you were when writing last before. I am proud indeed of dear Charley & the dear 13th. I knew you would find it a splendid regiment for duty. Do shew them all the little favors you can & some for my sake. I suppose Charley would not give up the Battalion now for a brigade of volunteers. I would not were I in his place. In the new organization of the regular regiments Charley will be given some field office in the regular Army - we can probably have him appointed Major of the 13th. Would not that be delightful? Then he could be with us always.

You are quite put out about the Leavenworth property. I could not let it go for taxes without hurting Father's feelings but I have since written to an agent there - Callahan - to Sell all my property, by lots or in a body & I expect soon to recover at least all that I have spent for taxes. If real estate is worth nothing, Cump & notes are of no value and stock is a humbug how can I save money? Shall I hide away green backs? or buy gold and bury it? You must tell me exactly & minutely how to Save money or I cannot feel much encouragement to do so after your depreciation of every thing that others consider of value. If you lay down a distinct manner in which to Save I will promise to comply with your desire & save in that way but as it is now I cannot imagine any thing worth saving or any way in which it would be worth while to attempt to Save. Do not fail to give me instructions the most minute if you expect me to save a cent. If you fail to do this you must not reproach me since from all you say to me I must consider every thing within my reach & comprehension utterly worthless & of no future value. I will write you as soon as I hear from Leavenworth & tell you what I get for my property or for how small a consideration I can get some one to take it off my hands. I think if you were to give the Bishop one month's salary & a deed to all the lots he would take them - perhaps he would charge a little more and I would not object to your giving that for he would like to have some money towards his Church which is to cost sixty thousand dollars or towards the hospital which he is erecting. I sent you by Capt. Dayton a deed for two lots which I gave him & which he charged me nothing for taking off my hands. As soon as you sign it I wish you would send it to me as I wish to Sign it also & forward to him. I intend to make Dan McCook pay me his note & you can afterwards give him five or six hundred dollars for taking the lots = or make him a present of a new uniform or a horse or something to shew your appreciation of the favor.

I will send the money to Harper & Bros. as you direct, but I must ask you to Satisfy my curiosity as to the kind of books you bought. Next Monday, the 15th, I hope to Start for Notre Dame to attend the Exhibitions of the dear children's schools. They will occur on the 24th & 25th and I hope to be home with them by the 27 or 28th. I wrote you yesterday dear Willy's birth=day & told you how well all the little ones are at home & how anxiously we look forward to the return of Minnie & Willy. - We read your report with exceeding interest & after Sending it to Mr. Hunter to read I enclosed it to John with the request that he would return it immediately. We live on news from you and I am truly thankful to you for writing so promptly in the midst of your harassing duties. Mother is not yet able to Sit up but you do not seem to pay much attention to her sickness as you have never yet sent her a message - She has had numberless congratulations on her rescue from death. All send love to dear Papa.

Beleive me ever faithfully yours -

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
June 11, 1863
[1863/06/11]

[WTS]

I enclose you a letter dearest Cump, which I received from Major, now Gen'l Tower. I received it some time ago & would have sent it to you then but you were in the heart of rebeldom & I did not know that you could receive letters from us. I assure you it was an infinite releif to us when your first letters & yr. dispatch came to know that you were all three living. The boy came with the dispatch just at dark. Philemon was in the study with Father & Mr. Hunter. They heard the boy hand a dispatch & he told them "it was from the General." Philemon ran up to hear & Father was in the most intense state of excitement below until Philemon called to him from the hall above "all well" - then the dispatch was sent down for general circulation & we felt the a load of anxiety we had borne about us for so many days had been suddenly lifted & one could smile & talk & visit once more Two or three months ago Mrs. Bowman wrote to me from Washington and asked me to write to Gen'l Tower. I did so & sent him a pin cushion containing a medal of the Blessed Virgin - this letter is in reply to that. Poor Sherman! they say he is dead. I feel very badly about it - Tell me where his wife lives that I may write to her. Father received a letter of condolence from Reverdy Johnson on your wound - he supposed you were the Sherman & said you were one of the few General officers he has any confidence in. Wilkes of the Spirit of the times says that you are the brain of that Army.

The wounded soldiers or Officers say you are its soul - so you see the poor miserable correspondents cannot write you down & as Halstead said in a recent note to me they are beneath your notice. How does Boyle Come on Give him my best love -

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
June 16, 1863
[1863/06/16]

[WTS]

Your letter of the 2nd inst was a long time coming, dearest Cump, reaching me only yesterday where as Henrietta received one of the 4th two days before. I was very glad indeed to hear from you as it had been some time since the receipt of your last of the 25th of May. If I had got your letter a day or two earlier I would have started today for Notre Dame but I did not feel satisfied to leave without one more letter & one more chance of hearing that the Struggle is ended before Vicksburg. I was glad at last to hear that you had received some summer clothing. Did you not receive the cotton socks & mosquito bar I sent you by express? Dayton took your summer coats pants & vest down when he went & you must have them by this time making you I trust, very comfortable. I must send two more light flannel shirts as I fear there were none in the box which Dayton took. I am very happy dear Cump in the regard you shew dear Charley as well as in his well won reputation. I nursed & petted & loved Charley so when a baby that I feel a more than sisterly affection for him. I am as proud of him as if he were my son - I would have been a young Mother at ten & a half - dear knows I was child enough then & ten years after in innocence & utter ignorance of the world - I hope & pray that Boyle is doing well. He is a soldier born. How many of his brigade were wounded, poor fellows! I feel heart sick & nervous when I think of the poor wounded & suffering & the thought of them clouds the joy of a victory to me. The dear children are well - I start tomorrow to Notre Dame. Mother is not improving as we hoped she would after the terrible operation.

Father had had the gout but he has gone to Dayton St. Louis & perhaps Kansas - Tom is over the "Border Dep't" Hd Quarters at Kansas City - The rail road stock is sold & Tom gets $25,000 - pays Father $10,000 -

Ever dearest your affectionate wife

Ellen
[EES]

St. Mary's near South Bend Indiana
June 21, 1863
[1863/06/21]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I arrived here on the 18th not only worn out but really sick from the effects of the journey during excessively hot weather and from excitement & anxiety of mind also. I went by carriage to Columbus & as soon as I got in I bought a paper & the first thing my eye rested on was a report of your death. The shock was very great altho' in one moment I knew that the report was unfounded - thanks to a letter I had recd from Hammond of late date, the day before I left home, One cannot sustain such a shock even for a moment without suffering some reaction after the excitement that & the journey together made me really sick but now I am rested & feel ready to enjoy the exhibitions that are to take place this week. The weather has changed & is now delightfully cool. I brought Lizzie & Tommy with me & they are enjoying themselves greatly with Minnie & Willy. Minnie is taller than I and so mature in look & manner that you would almost forget that she is only twelve & imagine your daughter marriageable could you see her now. She has been very happy here & wishes to return altho' she anticipates great pleasure during vacations at home. Willy is well and happy & like Minnie anxious for good news from dear Papa. It seems the report of your death reached Columbus the night before I got there. The union convention met there the next day & the City was thronged. Many of your friends were very unhappy & investigated the report until they satisfied themselves that it was untrue. Do you know Claypole from our county? He was there & he told Mr. Borland next morning that he felt so unhappy about it that he had not been able to Sleep the night before - he was therefore greatly rejoiced to hear the contradiction. I felt very much afraid Mother would see the paper & without stopping to think of dates would be greatly distressed. She is so feeble now we do not like to have her disturbed by anything but less by such a shock as that wd necessarily give her. Sis left home the day I did to join Father in Dayton & go with him to St. Louis. She could ill leave Mother but we cannot bear to have Father go alone anywhere particularly since he is liable to be rendered so helpless by that trouble in his foot which we call gout & he calls a sprain. I am most anxious to hear from you again - my last letter from you was written on the 2nd - nearly three weeks ago - as bad as California. Your friends everywhere and you have them even here among even the Brothers - are always on the look out for your fate & good fortune. Give my love to dear Charley & Boyle & kindest regards to Hammond Dayton & all my friends. Please confer a favor on me by giving the 13th something good - onions and whiskey if you can. Do tell me you have done so. I will write again in a day or two. I am anxious to hear how much good Father Carrier does.

Beleive me ever dearest your faithful

Ellen
[EES]

St. Mary's near South Bend Indiana
June 23, 1863
[1863/06/23]

[WTS]

The children have been pulling things about in my room this afternoon, dearest Cump & my small supply of paper seems to have vanished with them. This blank sheet I have torn from one of Hammond's letter just received & whilst all else are sleeping I must write a few lines to assure you that nothing worldly or otherwise can draw my heart & its constant yearnings from you. As I told you in my last I came up here with Lizzie & Tommy last week & was quite sick from fatigue & excitement. I am now better than I have been for some time & hope to enjoy the boys exhibition which occurs to-morrow. Philemon got here this evening & brought me your dear letter of the 11th in which you complain of not hearing from me. Something must be wrong for I did not omit writing more than eight or ten days & then when we were in suspense about you & I felt that I could not write. During that time I know that no one wrote to Charley so if you got news from him at a time when you were not hearing from me it must have been the fault of the mail that your letters did not reach you. Hammond's letter bore the Same date as yours - the 11th but he speaks of Dayton & you do not. I am anxious to know how you were pleased with the clothes Dayton took to you I am rejoiced to hear that Father Carrier reached there safely, My daily prayer - my all absorbing hope is that you may avail yourself of his presence to prepare your soul for any event by receiving the sacraments. One act of submission of your will to the will of God - one prayer for faith & such floods of grace will pour into your soul & such peace will settle on you that the world can never again move you to unhappiness nor fill the measure of your pure desires - You would make a splendid christian & I have grown so wicked I look to you for my stay & support in that in, future - Many fervent prayers are offered up for you here not only by your dear children but by the good Fathers Sisters & the humble industrious Brothers. The kindness which Aunt Mary has shewn the dear children we can never repay, She has cared for Willy, watched washed & bathed him comforted encouraged & caressed him as if he were her own, She lives in a house in the enclosure here & Willy always comes with Tommy Ewing to See her. This is an earthly paradise but my heart is too much yours to look upon with any desire to remain - The world is made sweet to me by your love - may we be reunited in a holier & happier life -

as ever faithfully

Ellen
[EES]

St. Mary's near South Bend Indiana
June 26, 1863
[1863/06/26]

[WTS]

Here I am still dearest Cump & very anxious to get home to get my letters which hope tells me are waiting there from you. I cannot live without your letters. God help me should you be taken away! but you cannot be after all the good prayers I have obtained for you without your full conversion to the faith which will open to us a united & a happy eternity. As I told you in my last, my devotion hereafter seems to me to depend on yours & your help & encouragement to me. I am so absorbed in you & anxiety about you that I fear I half forget Heaven & the good God who loves us both & who gave His life for our redemption. I trust nothing will go wrong at home during my absence. I feel out of place & uneasy when away from the point where you expect to communicate with me - when away from the children - dear Elly & Rachel - & now when absent from Mother. Minnie & Willy are very impatient to get home to See them all & I did intend to leave today but I was too much fatigued after attending both exhibitions to pack up & start. The journey up was too much for me & I was sick for two days after I arrived. The Exhibitions were delightful & both Minnie & Willy acquitted themselves finely. In the first class in the Minim Dep't "Master Wm. Sherman" recd four premiums & in the 2nd class two premiums. "Miss Maria Sherman of Lancaster Ohio" recd the first premiums in the third classes in the Seminary. I felt very proud of the children & only wished dear Cump that you could have been here to share my joy. Philemon is here & will take his family home next week. Minnie is very tall but she is straight & large & healthy & as amiable as ever. Willy is improved in every way. He is not as anxious to return next year as Minnie is. Lizzie & Tommy are delighted with their visit but they do not care about coming to School.

I am truly happy to know that Father Carrier was so kindly received by you all but I knew my husband would receive with all kindness the Preist who went there at my urgent request. Father Sorrin just recd a letter from him in which he speaks of you all & gives a description of the very cordial manner in which Gen'l Grant recd him after reading "Madam Sherman's letter" very complimentary to me - please acknowledge it to Gen'l Grant for me. I want Father Carrier to visit the 13th & do all he can for the souls of all the men of that Battalion so dear to me - Give my love to dear Charley. I will write him a long letter from here tomorrow or Sunday. I start home on Monday.

Tell dear Boyle, with my best love that I recd his letter & will write Soon

Minnie will write to you to-morrow. All send fond love to dear Papa.

As ever your truly devoted,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
July 1, 1863 Wednesday afternoon
[1863/07/01]

[WTS]

Hot weather is upon us now dearest Cump and I am truly glad that my fatigueing trip to Northern Indiana is over & the dear children are safe at home. They were so excited when they got near town that I proposed to them to get out & walk as the carriage could scarcely come at the Speed they desired. Mike Garaghty & a son of Cranmer of ancient days - you remember the family - were of the party and we took a carriage at Newark & drove down in very good time. Philemon could not start as soon as we but had to wait until yesterday morning for Aunt Mary to get the children ready. They will come by easy stages, spending two nights on the way & will not get in until tomorrow morning.

We came in less than twenty two hours. I had Mike Garaghty Willy Cranmer Minnie Lizzie Willy & Tommy under my care & I proved myself quite a General as we arrived in good condition none killed wounded or missing & no loss of baggage. Minnie is a head & shoulders taller thatn Aunt Sissy & is moreover taller than I her own Mother - Her expression has not altered although, much to my satisfaction her nose has grown somewhat longer. I thought it was too Short before & even now it is Smaller that I would like to have it. She is a good size and very healthy & happy. Poor Lizzie looks beside her as if ther might be five years difference in their ages. But Lizzie herself is picking up in every way & by the time we have lived a year on. the farm she will be such a broad buxom country lass her own Papa will scarcely recognise her. Willy has thined off and grown taller and resembles you very much. Poor Mother was over come by the remembrance of old times &c. when he came up to her bed to See her first, she thought the likeness to you so very striking. The year at Notre Dame has been a great benefit to him in many respects. I was very proud of him at the Exhibition when I heard his name called for six premiums & four of them first premiums in the first class in the Minim Dep't. Minnie did equally well in her studies & stood as high in classes & in as high classes as a girl of her age could have done. All the girls of her classes are older than herself with the exception of two or three, I think only two girls & yet she took the first premiums. Neither she or Willy got the first honor in their circle but they received second honors in them & considering how very strict the rules are I could not blame them for not receiving the first. Only one girl or boy recd the first honor in each Department. I, was delighted with the Institutions the country & the charming situation. Minnie is anxious to return and Willy is willing to do So. I have not yet determined exactly what to do but I think I will send Minnie back as I am very anxious for her to be thoroughly instructed in her religion and I fear the impressions she has already received may wear away unless they be still longer continued.

Father thinks of tearing down the Office & using the materials for part of a house which he will build on the farm and I am crazy to move down with the children. Father goes to New York the last of this week to return the last of next week & as Soon as he gets back I will write you what he has concluded to do in the matter & whether I am to become a farmer or not. I would like to astonish you with an array of chickens ducks geese lambs calves & colts when you return. The Spot Father has selected for a house is the most beautiful dell thro' which runs a clean good stream of water. A spring at the top of a hill to the rear of the scite would furnish an abundant supply of water which could be carried over the house. The children could then ride their ponies and run out doors as much as their health requires & I would have an incentive for exercise in my rides in to See Mother - I say to See Mother for Father would not leave me to do the visiting but would come every day to See me. I can secure the services - or think that I can - of a Smart active young widow as Governess and in case I should have the happiness of visiting you she could take charge of things generally with Emily to nurse & bathe & pet the children. I shall be so happy to realize my dream of the country & to have a house from which I cannot be driven until I have the best of all earthly pleasures - that of living with husband & children all united. That God may grant us at least a few years of such happiness is my daily prayer but in order to Secure the blessing you must be more careful of yourself. Both Boyle & Charley write me that you expose yourself constantly & unnecessarily in reconnoitering. I earnestly implore you to desist from such rashness - think of my anguish should to the sorrow of your death be added the horrible reflection that. it was occasioned by imprudence on your part. To complete our pride & pleasure in you & to leave to us any solace should God take you from us you must prepare your dear soul for God's mercy by a reception of the Sacraments. If you once overcome your pride & receive the sacraments Father would, moved by your example do the Same and our joy would exceed that of earth. Life is short & our great desire must be for a happy & united eternity.

Ever dearest Cump your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
July 8, 1863
[1863/07/08]

[WTS]

We received news last evening, dearest Cump, of the surrender of Vicksburg. It was said to be Official but I feel almost afraid to beleive it intil I hear a confirmation of it. I was generally beleived however and all sorts of demonstrations were made - bon=fires shooting of cannons guns fire crackers sending off roman candles & every imaginable species of fire works, bon fires speeches shouts hurrahs serenades &c. &c.. We feel most happy & truly grateful too that there has been no more loss of life in the capture of the place. I had begun to dread the final struggle as likely to prove fatal to either you or Boyle or Charley. Now I feel disappointed that you are perhaps not there to Share the pleasures of the triumphal entry of our troops into the stronghold that has resisted you so long, but in vain. Some correspondant who Signs himself "Inn" & whose letters appear in the Memphis Bulletin is most extravagant in your praise. Who is he? He has an unfeigned admiration & respect for you. We have had fine news from the east. Do you know Meade? If you do tell me what you think of him. All are well at home but Mother & I fear will never be well again. Give my love to Boyle & Charley.

Ever faithfully yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
July 18, 1863
[1863/07/18]

[WTS]

I was so happy to receive your long letter of the 5th dearest Cump which reached me yesterday. Nothing was ever more fully appreciated than the surrender of Vicksburg & never was such wild excitement known in the country before. The eastern Army was forgotten for awhile and nothing was thought of but Grant & his Generals & their victories. Lizzie was brim full of pleasure & feeling on receipt of your letter to her containing the bouquet of flowers. It is labeled and laid away as a precious relic. The children long to See their dear Papa and I do hope & pray you may be able soon to Spend those years of quiet enjoyment with them that you love to dream of. The Vicksburg pony has a colt at last - only a week old & both Mother & colt are as wild as young deer. The children ride Bob all day long, Minnie takes the first ride in the mornings before breakfast when Nelly Stambaugh accompanies her & they canter off finely. Lizzie is still afraid to ride but Rachel insists upon getting on. Willie & Tommy enjoy it.

Dear Cump Mother is no better & I hope you can let Boyle & Charley come home & perhaps come yourself for a short time. Dr. Blackman is coming up again to day & from him we will learn I fear her doom when I will write you again All the rest are well. Do write to me often. I am so glad to hear Hill is so faithful. Love to dear Uncle & Hugh

As ever your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
July 26, 1863
[1863/07/26]

[WTS]

I was so overjoyed by your letter of the 15th dearest Cump that I thought when I received it yesterday I would write to you all day to day but unfortunately I awoke with a very bad head ache which has just passed off and it is now nearly eleven at night. As I have slept some during the day I need not go to bed before twelve so I will write at least a short letter to you and one or two other letters which I am obliged to write or appear unkind. Now that you are willing for us to come to you I feel so impatient to be off I can scarcely keep quiet. Write to me at once dear Cump & tell me when you will probably wish us to come, where you will take us & who shall compose the party. Do not limit us to a month. You might have us spend the winter with you in which case I would have to take all the six down. If we go for only a short visit it would not be worth while to take Elly & Rachel. Do let us spend the winter with you. Suppose you let Willy & me meet you in Memphis & then let me come back & take the rest down in October or November, for the winter. I could take Willy Minnie & Lizzie & when I return for the rest I could leave Willy with you & leave Minnie at the Sisters. We are all so crazy to go (except the two little ones) that we cannot wait. Write to me what kind of clothing we will require - or rather what the weather is likely to be for awhile after we get there. The thought of going down to you has spread a sunshine over everything - all have gone to bed to dream happy dreams & my own heart is full of joy - God grant that nothing may occur to mar the happiness we anticipate.

Late as it is to=night & Sunday as it is the cannon is firing in consequence of the news of the capture of John Morgan & the last of his men. We all expect to See Charley & Hugh at home shortly. Father & Mother have their hearts set on it & I am sure both you & Gen'l Grant will consent. Father is profoundly thankful that you are all still living & well & he is too proud of you all. His eyes filled with tears when I read him your message about Hugh & Charley "earning their honors." What did you bet & who did you bet with that I would become glorious on receipt of the good news? You have lost your bet and I shall make you pay me sir for presuming to make such a bet about me - tremble! - for I am coming - Do you make the 13th any presents in my name? I think you might. Tell Hill he is a comfort to me -

Ever yours -

Ellen
[EES]

[Early October 1863]
[1863/10/00]

Dearest Cump
[WTS]

Charley leaves in a few moments I have not been able to trust myself to write. I have to command my feelings on account of Mother who was distressed beyond all control & on Father's account too for he has been dangerously ill & agitation is dangerous for him, the Doctor Says.

The body of our little Saint rests in the grave near dear Pa Boyle - Charley will tell you all - my heart is nearly broken - I cannot write about him.

Thank good dear Doctor Roler for me - Thank Capt. Cliff for the gun & all who shewed our holy one any kindness.

May God bless you & may the spirit of our Saint comfort your poor heart. Minnie is improving rapidly -

Ever your devoted

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
October 16, 1863
[1863/10/16]

[WTS]

Two months ago yesterday dearest Cump we arrived at your Camp on the Big Black and what have we not gone through since then. My heart is now in heaven and the world is dark & dreary to me. Now I realize that this life is but a probation & that we really live only in our home above. May God through the intercession of our holy one enable us to gain the crown of everlasting joy, which Christ our Savior died to purchase for us. Earth would be insupportable to me did I not feel that dear Willy is in Spirit near me & hears my prayers & laments to him. Innocent guileless heart! God left him with us until the time approached when the contaminations of the wicked might have sullied his purity. Oh! if we could only have had a little longer warning to have prepared our souls for the trial, If he had not seemed so well & strong. I would give every thing I have on earth if I had only paid more attention to him that Monday he was taken. Do write me Cump if you can remember doing anything for him. There were so many persons on the boat &c. I was so engrossed with Minnie & in so much pain myself that I did not give him the attention he ought to have had. But I must submit to the will of God who suffered me to be thus blinded in punishment for my sins, and bear the painful remorse as a penance for them. I tried to persuade him to eat some dinner & when he staid so long at the water closet I sent for him & tried to persuade him to go to bed. I remember looking over at him as he sat on a chair in the cabin, in the course of the afternoon & remarking the bright red in his dear cheek & thinking how it contrasted with the pure white. Oh! if I had only gone to him then & used some tender persuasion to get him to bed or given so evidence of my love! I could hate myself that I did not but I trust his pure spirit knows now the depth of my love - my pride in him was too great & I treated him too much like a man. Thank God he has no Sins of a man to atone for now.

Give my love to all. I am very anxious about you. All are as usual here.

Ever your devoted.

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
October 17, 1863 Saturday morning
[1863/10/17]

[WTS]

I feel that it is very doubtful, dearest Cump whether my letters will reach you. Thro' the papers we have heard of the attack the rebels made on you on Sunday the 11th as you were going out on the railroad & of the loss of the Regulars. Ask Capt Smith to send me the names of the killed & wounded if he can without too much trouble. I did hope to hear from you again before you left but it seems no letters are coming of later date than the 8 eighth. Capt. Dayton wrote to me according to promise but Capt. McCoy has failed to write me as he promised giving me an account of over twenty dollars I gave him to spend for me. If he complied with my request I would like to know it and just how he did it but if he failed to comply with it I would like to have him return my money. Charley did not get away from here until Saturday the 10th and I fear he will not get out to you Safely. I feel now that I have but one real desire and heart longing & that is that we may all reach our heavenly home as soon as possible - Life seems sometimes insupportable & were it not that I must live as long as God wills for the other children I would pray that he might suffer me to die now. Minnie is still improving but she is in such a weak state it will take some time to regain her strength. The others are perfectly well. Mother is no better & in my opinion. When she heard dear Willy was gone she bitterly lament that he could not have been left & she taken - her heart is distressed for you Willy loved you so - May God comfort you & may our little Saint whisper hope & love to your soul -

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
October 19, 1863
[1863/10/19]

[WTS]

Your letter from Colliersville written on Tommy's birth day came up very quickly dearest Cump, and it was a great releif to me to hear directly from you after the fight which had before been reported in the papers. We all lament that so many of the Regulars were killed & wounded & I think particularly of the poor sick who were taken prisoners. Every thing I read or hear sends a pang thro' my heart for I feel what an interest dear Willy would have felt in hearing it. The noblest purest heart that God had given us He has taken away. I treated him as he loved best to be treated always more as a man than a child but not an hour of my life but my soul & heart communed with his and one of my cheif and truest pleasures was the knowledge that he had for me all the tender love of a child with the noble & pure admiration & respect of a good man. He was the only being on earth who ever admired me - his appreciation of me was more than I deserved and God has deprived me of that in which I took too much secret pleasure. We cannot mourn for him for he is blessed in going thus early to receive the joys for which he was created and in escaping the cares sorrows sickness troubles & disappointments of this life. God has crowned him early but He has left my lot one of sorrow & self reproach that I did better appreciate the blessing while I had it & that I did not communicate to him more my feelings of love & confidence. I tried always to be govened by the desire to do him good & to do what was best for his future character. No one but God, who sees in secret knows how I greived at my seperation from him last winter. All the time I was sick tho' the winter the thought of him lay heavy at my heart but I had made up my mind it was for his good to Stay and I bore it without yeilding to my desire to go bring him home. I never covered myself at night & never waked up that I did not think of him & hope he was sleeping well & during the long tedious days of indisposition my yearnings for him were so strong I could hardly control myself - yet I seldom wrote to him anything about it for fear of making him homesick & he never knew the half the love I bore him. He knows it now I trust - and thank God he can never feel cold or hunger or sickness or trouble again. Dear Willy pray for your poor Mother & Father - I have put away as sacred all his clothes - his sergeants uniform - the suit he wore at the exhibition - his shirt with a Standing collar - his shoes & shoe brush his tooth brush his cap & old straw hat - his sargeants commission & leave of absence - his card of admission into the "society of holy angels" at Notre Dame - his knife* his silver money & the little spoon from which he took the last drop of earthly food with the wreath which was carried on his coffin to the church - Minnie is improving

As ever,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
October 19, 1863
[1863/10/19]

[WTS]

I fear my letter of this morning was too late for the mail, dearest Cump, & that & this may go with it yet neither reach you. I cannot tell how to Send letters; you told me to direct via Memphis until after the 15th & then according to circumstances or to what I heard. Your letter containing photographs was received with pleasure by us all. I like only the one of full length in a sitting posture with a book & I have ordered some of them. The others I think are rather poor. Gen'l Grants' is miserable but Genl McPherson's is excellent. Poor Minnie took her choice. She is recovering but she is still weak and ailing and feels depressed altho' glad to get home & with a good appetite. Tommy is entirely over his diarrhea and is getting a little fleshier yet he is still quite thin. I bathed Minnie's feet this evening & was surprised to See her poor legs so thin. I have some apprehensions that she may go into bad health, in other words into a decline. Be assured I shall watch her more carefully than ever before and use all human means to restore health, Nor shall I fail to ask that blessing of God for her but should He, in His wisdom deny it and take her with Willy we must bless His holy name & beleive that he has taken them "from the evil to come." The longer time elapses the more heart broken I feel in recalling the sufferings of our holy little one & in contemplating our loss and our desolation. I could not now live on the farm. It was for him more than for any of the others that I wished to go - and although reason tells me I should be willing to make the sacrifice for them even if he be gone still my heart fails me when I think of it. Every tree flower or fruit would speak to me of my loss - the Sun the air & the sky would breathe soft lamentations to my sorrowing soul- and Willy - ours no longer on earth - would fill my heart to the exclusion of others whom I could not remember in my greif. I can scarcely keep from praying that I may die but that is selfish since it is my loss & sorrow that I greive over for he is in the enjoyment of heaven for which we are all hoping. I have told Father that I cannot go to the farm & why - God only knows what I shall do it seems that I am never to have an abiding place here but must look to the home only in heaven. God make me worthy of it. When I think of the iniquities of men and remember how few are holy and good as I would desire my sons to be I bless God in the midst of my tears for taking Willy in his innocence & youth. "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." Could we have been taken in childhood think of all the trouble we would have been spared & yet we are among the fortunate of this world. It is the children we have left that I should sorrow & pray for. May God help me to do my duty to them & to you. I trust dear Charley has arrived safely with Luke. Give my love to him & to Hugh.

Beleive me ever your truly affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
October 21, 1863
[1863/10/21]

[WTS]

I have written you almost daily dearest Cump and have sent you letters of condolence which I have received on different days, but I greatly fear you have not received any of my letters since the road from Memphis to you must be constantly troubled by guerrillas. I have not had a letter from you since the one written just after the fight on the 11th at Collierville. I have prayed and secured prayers for you so long that it would be doubting God's goodness for me to doubt that your end will be a happy one and your eternity glorious - in other words that you will die in the faith that sanctified our holy one whom we have just given up to God. I sent him to Notre Dame to be instructed and to imbibe religious faith & fervor to prepare his soul for the struggles & temptations of the world - God in infinite mercy & love prepared him for his heavenly home, and did not leave him to the cruel struggles of earth - He fulfilled an end of his creation - he knew loved & served God and he has gone to glorify him forever and to prepare a place for us by his pure prayers. I asked him early the morning he died if he would like to go to Heaven & see God & he said he would. I asked him if he would not pray for Papa & Mama to come there to him & he said - "Yes Mama." Would that our labors were ended and with the rest of our children we could go now.

I cannot write of anything else, & I cannot think or speak of him without heart breaking pangs. Minnie is still better this morning & is going out by invitation to Spend the day with Aunt Sissy at Bina Pearce's. Lizzie is going with them. We all pray together every night for you and for Willy - we pray for & we ask his prayers for us. All received your letters & all will remember & cherish the men who were ever kind to Willy. Minnie had talked to me a great deal of what I knew before of Aunt Mary Phelan's kindness to him at Notre Dame. Minnie says he was always cheerful & happy there & more full of plays & romps than he had ever been before. That was one thing that reconciled me to sending him I thought he would learn more plays & manly sports - they have a fine large yard & the Brothers watch over their plays & encourage them & the Minims play by themselves & not with the larger boys. You often asked me to let Willy run in the Street - He was so manly & honorable that he always had liberty to go where he pleased but he was too good to play with boys generally & too much of a gentleman to like to run the streets. Give my love to dear Charley & Hugh

Ever yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
October 23, 1863 Friday morning
[1863/10/23]

[WTS]

Minnie has improved greatly within the last three days dearest Cump & the last two nights have been the first that she has been able to sleep undisturbed. The other children are very well indeed except Rachel who seems to have some slight affection of the lungs altho' she is enormously fat. I sometimes feel & hope that Willy is praying for her to come to him and that God is answering his prayer - He was anxious to See her - and whenever we talked of coming home he talked of her so much that I feel that I would like to have her go to him. He is not lonely and I know he is blest but I would be glad if we could all be together with him.

I received your letter from Corinth. I will write to Col Cockrill today. It would be a comfort to me if Dr Roler could write to me anything that Willy said, to him during his sickness - also how he thinks the child felt the Monday he was taken - what he told him had been his symptons before - how often he saw him Monday & Monday night and what he gave him & how often and if he thinks Willy waited on him faithfully in short every little particular that he can recal. I will be more than ever thankful to him for such a letter. I was in a great deal of pain myself during that trip on the Atlantic & had to take Brandy & Laudanum & to be in my berth a good deal & my heart nearly breaks when I think how much more I could have been with Willy. A thought of his danger never crossed my mind before Thursday. I would give worlds if I could go over those few days & be with him in spite of when I then conceived to be other duties.

I sent you a power of Attorney to sign for Mr. Casserly to attend to Lizzie's property. Mrs. Welsh writes me that the Captain is away engaged in business - &c &c &c.

In haste for the mail

Ellen
[EES]

[October 1863]
[1863/10/00]

[WTS]

First part of this letter is torn off.

in his heavenly home it must be through the efficacy of the same sacraments which sanctified his soul. By them the merits of our Saviour's passion are conveyed to the soul. I trust in God those mercies are in store for you. To Willy's prayers & watchings I hourly commend your soul. I wrote to Father Carrier & asked him if he remembed his conversation with Willy in the interview before the last. He answered that he did distinctly. He told Willy that he was in some danger & might die - he says "Willy then told me in very few words that he was willing to die if it was the will of God but that it pained him to leave his father & Mother." "These words were said with such an expression of deep earnestness that I could hardly refrain from giving way to my feelings" "I then endeavoured to soothe his feeling of subdued regret & told him that it was not certain he would die & "Willy," said I, trust in God & the Blessed Virgin & all will be well with you." "If God wishes to call you to him - now - do not greive for he will carry you to heaven & there you will meet your good Mother & Father again." "Well" said he with an air of singular resignation." "I then withdrew as he wanted the assistance of Mrs. Turner who was sitting by" -

I feel as if my heart would break so vividly does this recall his patient suffering. Let us prepare for heaven & be ready when God calls to follow him

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
November 9, 1863 Monday night
[1863/11/09]

[WTS]

Six weeks ago today dearest Cump our darling Willy was among us for the last time - six weeks ago tonight he laid off his Sergeant's uniform never to wear an earthly suit again - from that time on death was doing his dread work with that pure body and his dear soul had but a dreamy consciousness or awaked to but occasional glimpses of what passed on earth. With all the noble aspirations of a good man he had the lovely docility of the youngest child and well do I beleive that "of such is the kingdom of heaven." Much as he enjoyed life, much as he idolised you & dearly as he loved us all he was willing to die if it was God's will to take him. He told me he would pray for us to follow him. I told him how we loved him and asked if he knew it & he said he did. The morning of the day he died he told me "Uncle Charley had his gun taking care of it for him." I said "when we go to the country Willy you will shoot Mama all the game she wants?" - he said "Yes Mama" and when after that I began to cry he put his dear cold hands to my face to caress me. O My God what would I not give for one more embrace & for one kiss from those sweet pure lips. His death was too sudden; I feel that life to me is too gloomy & I long to go where I can see my boy who suffered so much without complaining. How I wish he had complained more I do not know that even then we could have realised that one of ours could die. I often talked of the possibility of their dying & felt that if taken young they would be blessed and my will is reconciled now to dear Willy's lot & I would be glad could some of the others join him but the heart yearns & bleeds & almost breaks at the tender touching recollections that constantly arise. Did I not beleive that he sees and hears me - could I not pray to him I could not bear the anguish. But he forgives me now all my oversights in regard to him & he sees in my heart that desire for his good prompted my actions towards him - he knows now how I greived for him last winter when I had him away at school & that I did violence to my own feelings for the Sake of his soul's profit. But I did feel when I got him home that I could not be seperated from him again - Alas! little did I apprehend this painful seperation. I ought to have done so too, for now I think that the dregs of the Panama fever had never left him. I think that the fall he had from that pony hurt his head and made him so liable to serious indisposition. On recollection it seems to me he never was quite the same after that altho' ambition kept him up. He was with you more than he was with me did you notice that he suffered with his head. He is happy - thrice blessed - and I am miserable at the recollection of what he suffered and at the consciousness of our deep loss. I know that he was taken in mercy, after having had a life of innocent enjoyment, from the sorrows dissapointments & temptation's of this wicked world. My prayer to God for my children has always been that they should be taken to heaven in childhood rather than be suffered to live at the risk of their immortal souls. How can I doubt that God has answered my prayer for the darling one he has taken to His bosom. The other children pray to him every day and ask him - but little need of that - to pray for Papa.

Tuesday morning

Father was worse last night & felt weaker than he has yet. Philemon & Sis divided the night in sitting up with him. This morning he is better but not much. Weakness is the worst sympton he can have he thinks so he feels quite discouraged. I think he will not be able to undertake the journey to Washington. I dislike the thought of going on. I am so weary & so unwell. Less than two months ago we were all happy at our beautiful Camp where the moon shone so bright & the band played so sweetly & the children were so full of joy. Now think of me mourning my lost one - watching over the last days of Father & Mother full of anxiety about you & more sick than well all the time.

Ever yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
November 10, 1863 Monday morning
[1863/11/10]

Dearest Cump,
[WTS]

Father still talk of going to Washington and if able to walk to the carriage to ride to the Depot I presume he will go. In his condition we cannot let him go alone or remain there without some of the family. He insists upon Sis's being married so she cannot go. Philemon cannot go to remain all winter and as I am a boarder at any rate I might as well be boarding there as anywhere so I have promised to go with him. As I cannot be satisfied without the children I must take them with me - the older to go to school the younger ones for company. I will not receive or make any visits but devote myself to the children & to Father. Father will of course have a servant. We are all very much opposed to his going & think that he ought not to but he will if able to walk. You have no doubt seen Philemon's letters to Hugh & Charley in which he told them of Father's state and that he is liable to die at any moment with heart disease. He got better a day or two ago but last evening he was not so well again. Philemon & Sis have taken turns in sitting up with him for a week. Last night Rosy sat up. I am now writing in bed. I have a cold on my lungs which is quite severe - but I expect to be up during the day. Rachel has had a cold & cough for some weeks but she has not lost her strength or vivacity. Willy was so anxious to See Rachel that I think he is praying for he to come to him & I think she will be blest in answer to his prayers & join her dear brother. in heaven. On Saturday I got my patterns out to cut out some garment for the children - imagine the pang that went to my heart when I saw my darling boy's jackett & pants pattern that I had used only three months ago - that I will never use for him again! It requires the assurance of his happiness - dear Willy - to enable me to bear these things & live on. Mother cannot live long & when not kept here by her & Father you must provide for me elsewhere Cump for I cannot stand it here - my heart is sore & sick Love to dear Charley & to Hugh when you see him. Sis and Henrietta write to them constantly

Ever yours,

Ellen.
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
November 15, 1863 Sunday night
[1863/11/15]

[WTS]

The children are all in bed dearest Cump and I sit down with my usual heavy heart to write you so far away and so much exposed to danger. Would that we could be together in our sorrow. It seems to me I could bear it better - indeed I know I could as it is not dear Willy's fate that greives me but our sad loss and the remembrance of his sufferings. Whilst my will in this matter is reconciled and I cannot but thank God for blessing Willy as He has done by removing him from earthly contamination and taking him to his place in heaven still my hearts grieves and aches & is so heavy that I feel as if I never could enjoy another hour on earth. Were it not for the Solace of the presence of the other children I could not bear it. As it is I am sick in body as well as mind and have become so weak that I can scarcely exert myself to sit up all day, or even a part of the day: You have your duties which necessarily divert your mind & I am thankful that you have but imagine me alone with no ambition or interest with everything about me recalling my dear lost boy. his clothes, his books, his guns, his Swords, his name recalled by the other children in their plays, his place vacant at the table in church - in bed; all day long, everywhere there is something to remind me of his pure face which I shall never again behold until the resurrection. God grant that we may then be all united in happiness unending. Through the same gate by which he entered into life must we pass dear Cump if we hope to join him in his home above. His prayers will secure that blessing for us. I hope you pray to him for he can help you by his prayers & if anything on earth can add happiness to his present state (which I trust & beleive is one of perfect bliss) it will be the knowledge that you ask his prayers for your soul. Oh that we could only join him now! Were it not for my duty to the other children & my love which shudders at the thought of their being left Motherless in this cold wicked world I could not ask or even feel willing to live so dreary & desolate does every thing seem.

Do you not think you can soon manage in some way to have us near you? When the next great battle is over the war in the west will become a mere guerilla war & you can then settle down somewhere with us in peace & quiet I have no ambition for earthly honors and when you feel that you have done your duty to your country do look to us and come to us for I cannot live this way much longer.

Monday morning.

Every time I write to you Cump I resolve to try to be more cheerful but I cannot leave the one strain that fills my hours with sadness. I wish I had the necessary powers of description to give you vivid pictures of Elly & Rachel & repeat their cunning little speeches which alone have power to amuse or interest me. I should not say that alone for your dear letters I still look for with anxiety but I never get one or hear anything new of your movements that I do not realise afresh that the one whom all this would most effect is silent & gone forever. "Earthly storms possess no power, to break the slumber that hath bound him" - no sound can awake him to glory again." His joy hereafter will be in our spiritual good only. Then let us try to live in communion with his soul which is enjoying a bliss which "the heart of man cannot conceive" Tommy started to school this morning & I intend to keep him close at it as he is very troublesome. Lizzie also goes. Minnie reads aloud to me a good deal. She has assisted in attending Father & taking care of the little ones. Mother is rather worse Father is better & will doubtless go to Washington. Philemon will go with him but if he remains all winter I will have to go on as Philemon cannot stay all winter. Love to Hugh & Charley.

Ever your affectionate

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
November 18, 1863 Wednesday morning
[1863/11/18]

[WTS]

Yesterday was Lizzie's birth day dearest Cump - she is now eleven years old. I let her stay at home from school and they had quite a happy day of it. Grand Ma and Aunt Sissy gave her pretty presents Grand Ma's was a port folio and Aunt Sissy's was a beautiful necklace of coral & gold. She was quite proud of them & flatters herself that She will write many more letters now she has a port folio. She began by writing to her God Father Uncle Boyle which letter he will receive in the course of time. Elly has a most lively imagination and tells the most extravagant stories & knowing they are storis she tells me in confidence & cries if they are repeated. Rachel plays and sings & chatters the live long day. Surely God gave her to console my present hours of desolation & gloom She is now standing near me with her doll & singing "Wrap the flag around me boys" &c. Nora - the little darky - is quite a source of amusement to the children but both Elly & Rachel are disposed to tyranise over her & give her the most peremptory orders. Next Tuesday is the day set for Sis's wedding - the ceremony will take place in Mother's room with no one present but Father Philemon & Mary Henrietta & myself and the children - A sober wedding at a doleful time.

You say in one of your letters dearest Cump that I of all others should not greive about our lost darling - why do you say that because I have always expressed a willingness that the children should be taken to heaven young? That does not leave me less lonely or diminish the anguish which the recollection of my boy's sufferings inflict upon my soul.

I send you a letter I recd yesterday from Mrs Swords. She is very kind to write to me & I wish you would answer her letter or write to the Colonel for I cannot & will not write to any one - it agitates me too much. What a beautiful letter Gen'l Barnard wrote you. I would like to See the book he sent you. I sent a pretty letter which I recd from Dan McCook, to Charley & asked him to hand it to you. Ask Capt. Dayton if he has that picture of Willy which I sent him once. I would give anything to have it. Ask him to Send it to me.

Ever faithfully yours

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
November 25, 1863
[1863/11/25]

[WTS]

Your letter of the 17th reached me on the 23rd, dearest Cump, having come in very short time. But it has not tended to raise my spirits or make me more cheerful or happy as you think there are such dangers before you. Since we lost dear Willy I feel that evils of all sorts are likely to come upon us and as I never can look for even amusement or any kind of pleasure out side of our immediate family I hold you all so much dearer & dread that I may lose you too. I have always thought & indeed prayed that God would take all our children to heaven in their innocence, rather than suffer either of us to die & leave them to the care of others, which never can be that of parents, or rather than that we should die except in the most holy dispositions. God help the poor little ones we have here, if you should be taken now, for my health is too bad to Stand any more sorrow than I feel at present. - But I will not write of Willy - it nearly kills me -

Sis was married yesterday morning and mother stands it much better than we thought she would::notwithstanding the great opposition she made to it before & until within the last month she seemed composed and even cheerful yesterday. I have not seen her this morning for I am still en dishabille, in my room having been much indisposed all night. Philemon Sis & Rosy have been taking turns in sitting up with Father. He will not have anyone out of the family & they are broken down. Philemon was quite sick yesterday & could not stay to dinner. Father was much gratified by a letter he received yesterday from Hugh offering to resign for the purpose of being his companion accompanying him on his journeys &c. It is necessary for Father to have one of his children with him always and I know he would now be glad to have Boyle come home. He intends to write to the President on the subject to=day & he will also write to you to send his resignation on. Now I wish you would give him leave of absence so that he can get home sooner as it will then save me the necessity of going on to Washington. Philemon will go on for a few weeks & then Hugh might get there before it would be my time to go. I feel that I should be too Sad and lonely there without the children & the City is so crowded & boarding is so enormously high that I cannot well take them. Then too my health is so poor that I am really not fit for the exertion & exposure, & Father is likely to be dangerously ill or to die at any time. Please hurry Hugh on for he must come in a few weeks. I am suffering from a severe cold on my lungs and have been obliged to keep my chest & spine covered with eruption from croton oil to ease the inflammation & pain. I have had no appetite since I came home & scarcely eat one good meal in a week. I cannot taste wine of any sort or coffee and I am in consequence greatly reduced in strength. This is the third or fourth winter I have suffered with cold on my lungs but I have seldom lost my appetite before.

I will not decide about a house in Lancaster until I see how Mother & Father stand the winter. When their presence no longer binds me here I cannot stay in this town or away so far from you. You must not ask me. I must be somewhere nearer to you, where I can see you often.

The children - (when I name them how I think of the absent one) - were all delighted with the wedding & welcome "Uncle Steele" with sincere hearts. Rachel & Elly are exceedingly interesting but Rachel is the general favourite, partly because she is so much like Willy. She came to the parlor door yesterday leading Norah and when she had got her in she said "Here's Nora" & then pointing to the groom "that's Uncle Steele" - so Nora was regularly introduced. Love to dear Charley.

Ever faithfully yours,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
November 30, 1863
[1863/11/30]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I intended to write you a long letter but Sis & Philemon have been in my room and I now have time for only a few lines. I am anxious to hear of your return from the pursuit of Bragg. I hope you will receive my letter about Boyle and let him come home at once. It is necessary to Father's comfort that he should be here & Father is very anxious for him to come. We have to sit up every night with Father - not lie in the room but sit up. I do not beleive he will ever entirely rally from this and Mother is I think getting quite rapidly worse within the last five or six days. She has now nearly lost all hope & the Doctor himself thinks it is time to tell her there is no hope except for life beyond the grave. I shall envy her the privelige of seeing our lost darling before I do. I enclose a letter which I found among some I was assorting yesterday. After that how could I have been so insensible to his danger the first few days of his breif illness? God perhaps suffered my heart to be blinded that my agony might be greater afterwards in punishment of my sins. Do write to me often - All the children are well. Love to dear Charley

As ever,

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
December 2, 1863
[1863/12/02]

[WTS]

It seems dearest Cump that I cannot remember the half I have to say to you because when I commence writing my thoughts all flow into one channel & I close in tears and vain yearnings for our dear Willy - our little precursor in the long heavenly home we hope to reach - And now it seems like sacralige to come to my subject - but I sat down to Say that I need money. I forget how much I had when I left Memphis but I paid to Charley $250. for our travelling expenses - I owed Sis for the house & the rest is all gone -

I told you that "Sam" the horse has not been heard of - - I am again troubled with my lungs as every little cold I get aggravates the inflammation settled there. Father could not possibly start for Washington now & I think he will never be able to go. Love to dear Charley. Why do you not write to me? I am sick for a letter.

Affectionately as ever

Ellen
[EES]

Lancaster Ohio.,
December 2, 1863
[1863/12/02]

Dearest Cump;
[WTS]

I dreamed last night that you were here & looking so happy & well that really it was quite a comfort to me. I had the happiness of dreaming of dear Willy also. I know he is with us and near us & thinking of us and praying for us but it was a consolation to me to See him in a dream notwithstanding the certainty of my faith. I wrote you yesterday about Charley & the way in which his money goes. I wish you would shew him the letter. If you are not willing to Shew it to him please let me know as I shall then write to him on the subject. I intend to write my will tonight as both you & I might be taken from the children within a short time. Of course I do not wish to make any distribution of my property or to name it but I have certain little bequests to make and I wish among other things a sum expended for Masses for my soul. Of course my children will pray for me but I wish the holy sacrafice offered to God in atonement for the sins of which I fear I never can sufficiently repent & which while life lasts I seem doomed to commit. The wind is howling outside but the sun shines clear & the roads are fine. Col. Steele went down the valley to=day to take charge of things generally. The firm is to be "Ewing & Steele." We all like the Colonel very much so far, and hope we may have no reason to change our opinion. Minnie and I have learned with great regret that Gen'l Corseis so badly wounded. It is reported that he died after having his leg amputated but that I do not credit. I am very anxious to hear from you. Immediately after the Assault on the fortifications at Vicksburg on the 19th you wrote to me about it & you said "In my report I will name Charley in terms that will satisfy even you." You perhaps remember when I asked you at the Camp why you did not in your report give Charley credit for bringing up the Battalion - after Capt Washington fell.

Father is not improving and I fear he never will improve. He is rather discouraged now himself. Mother has not yet been told her true condition.

Tommy & Lizzie enjoy their school They are very particular about being in time & will not stay home at all for fear of getting at the foot of the class - Kate is a kind good teacher & a gentle amiable girl. The man who marries her will have a wife worthy of the greatest devotion Write to me often Cump for I live in the companionship of the family exclusively. I go nowhere & see no one - I cannot bear to See company home or elsewhere. Sis has been going out & seeing a great deal of company but now the Col is gone I suppose she will return to Mother's room & be with her.

As ever,

Ellen
[EES]