Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to Janet Watson Seward, December 11, 1864
xml:
Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to Janet Watson Seward, December 11, 1864
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:keh
student editorTranscriber:spp:ahf
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1864-12-11
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Letter from William Henry Seward, Jr. to Janet Watson Seward, December 11, 1864
action: sent
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
location: Martinsburg, WV
receiver: Janet Seward
Birth: 1839-11-18
Death: 1913-11-09
location: UnknownUnknown
transcription: keh
revision: crb 2016-09-07
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Page
1
Martinsburgh Va
Sunday Dec 10/
My dearest Jenny
I am so far
improved as to be able to sit
up to day & hope to be able
to attend to my duties by Tuesday
or Wednesday. Gen Lightburgh
yesterday and Col Rust
temporarily in command under my
directions. I was taken quite
sick in the night after my arrival
here on Wednesday and for some time
it seemed quite probably that I would
have a regular fever & disentary. Dr
Page
2
Bates
however gave me all the old
shool medice he could think of
and by Friday I commenced
to improve and have now got up
a good appetite which I cannot
indulge much yet, I have had
any quantity of presents of eatiable
which I could not eat & other
little kindnesses from both loyal
& disloyal inhabitant which I
could not accept, one old lady
Mrs Campbell
kind & has sent me a jar of
very nice homemade currant jelly
which I have mixed with water
for a drink & found excellent
I have now got on to my
Page
3
old diet "milk" and find it
quite as agreeable as more fancy
dishes, Mrs Falkner
sent in a very handsome silver
dish in the centre of which
is a pineap ^p^ le of some pink
composition probably
by floating island, very pretty but
I dont propose to take it.
Now then I wish you to give me
a long credit mark for letting you
know so promptly of my sickness,
I might have waited until to day and
then written you that I was about well
again. We have had quite a
fall of snow here and every article
that can be made available for a
sleigh has been put in requisition I
believe that all my staff were out
sleigh riding yesterday, George
Page
4
well and seems to be enjoying himself
The "base of supplies has now been
moved to Harpers Ferry and Martinsburgh
in comparatively dull now and the
duties will hereafter be much lighter.
I recd a telegram from Col Taft
night saying that he would come
up here, we are expecting him
Monday, the 9th with the rest of
the 3 Div of the 6th Corps have gone
to Petersburgh
I wish I could drop in and see
my little family
not heard from you yet since
I left home a week ago but
shall look for a letter by tomorrow.
I have written Mr Day
must make some arrangement to get
possession of the McC
gave him no authority to rent it beyond that time
Your
Will
Page
5
Martinsburgh Va
Sunday Dec 10/
My dearest Jenny
I am so far
improved as to be able to sit
up to day & hope to be able
to attend to my duties by Tuesday
or Wednesday. Gen Lightburgh
Birth: 1824-09-21 Death: 1901-05-17
leftyesterday and Col Rust
Birth: 1833-12-02 Death: 1881-07-22
is nowtemporarily in command under my
directions. I was taken quite
sick in the night after my arrival
here on Wednesday and for some time
it seemed quite probably that I would
have a regular fever & disentary. Dr
Bates
Unknown
my Medical Directorhowever gave me all the old
shool medice he could think of
and by Friday I commenced
to improve and have now got up
a good appetite which I cannot
indulge much yet, I have had
any quantity of presents of eatiable
which I could not eat & other
little kindnesses from both loyal
& disloyal inhabitant which I
could not accept, one old lady
Mrs Campbell
Unknown
has been particularlykind & has sent me a jar of
very nice homemade currant jelly
which I have mixed with water
for a drink & found excellent
I have now got on to my
old diet "milk" and find it
quite as agreeable as more fancy
dishes, Mrs Falkner
Unknown
has justsent in a very handsome silver
dish in the centre of which
is a pineap ^p^ le of some pink
composition probably
by floating island, very pretty but
I dont propose to take it.
Now then I wish you to give me
a long credit mark for letting you
know so promptly of my sickness,
I might have waited until to day and
then written you that I was about well
again. We have had quite a
fall of snow here and every article
that can be made available for a
sleigh has been put in requisition I
believe that all my staff were out
sleigh riding yesterday, George
Birth: 1808-08-26 Death: 1888-12-07
is quitewell and seems to be enjoying himself
The "base of supplies has now been
moved to Harpers Ferry and Martinsburgh
in comparatively dull now and the
duties will hereafter be much lighter.
I recd a telegram from Col Taft
Birth: 1832-09-10 Death: 1867-01-20
lastnight saying that he would come
up here, we are expecting him
Monday, the 9th with the rest of
the 3 Div of the 6th Corps have gone
to Petersburgh
I wish I could drop in and see
my little family
Birth: 1862-09-11 Death: 1921-10-05
to day, I havenot heard from you yet since
I left home a week ago but
shall look for a letter by tomorrow.
I have written Mr Day
Birth: 1817-02-23 Death: 1878-02-28
that hemust make some arrangement to get
possession of the McC
Birth: 1791-09-07 Death: 1860-11-16
House in May as Igave him no authority to rent it beyond that time
Your
Will