The Civil War Letters of Aaron Jones Fletcher

 

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Letter dated May 10, 1863 from William A. Lydston (brother-in-law), South Eliot, Maine, to Aaron Jones Fletcher

Page 1 and 4 (JPEG)
Page 2 and 3 (JPEG)

            South Eliot
                        May 10/63

Dear Brother
I thought
I would try to write you a few
lines to let you know we are
all well  Martha received your
letter last weeck we was very
glad to hear from you and
that you was well.  I have
no news to write that I know
of we are haveing pretty warm
wether now but I expect it
is nothing what you have out
their  we have had a rather
backward spring some mornings
now it is cold enough for mittins
now.  I suppose before you get
this letter you will hear about
Hookers great battle at fredricks-
burg  I have just been reading
the account of it  it was the

 

[p.2]
most bloody affair of the whool
war and the last on[e] I hope that
will be fought I am very glad
that you and Swift are out
of the fighting rancks and I
hope you wil keep out untill
your time is served out.
I am at woork on the yard
yet ship building is very good
out side now a good fellow can
get 2.75 and 3.00 dollars a day
in som of the private yards
now they pay 2.50 in the Navy
now  the southon privateers is
helping make ship carpenters
good  if this war was over I calculate
a fellow could get just what
he was mind to say.
I am in hope you and Swift
will be at home by next
fall if not before  we talk
of gowing up to Acton then

 

[p.3]
if nothing should happin
to prevent  I expect Swift
has got a grand job now  we
have not heard from him
sinc he left this army I
expect he is so biusy he can’t
get a chanc to write if he
hates it as bad as I do I
don’t blame him for not writeing
very often  the young fellows here
have cleard out a good many of them
to escape the draft some of them
have gorn to sea and to St
Johns and some to canady but
I think I shant go I will
stand my chanc and if I get
drafted and don’t want to gow
I will pay my fine.
Martha is well and sends
her love  Nettie is well  she can
say most any thing she wants
to be out of doors all the time

 

[p.4]
little Billie Paul has gorn to
sea he went about a weeck
ago he sailed out of Boston
he has gone to Europe to be gone
13 months
I cant write any more this time
but hope to hear from you often
I remain as ever your
affectionate brother
Wm A. Lydston