The Civil War Letters of Aaron Jones Fletcher

 

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Letter dated July 5, 1863 from Hersina Paul (sister), Eliot, Maine, to Aaron Jones Fletcher

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

 

                        Eliot July 5 1863

Dear brother
It is a rainy Sunday
and I take this time to reply to your kind
letter, I am always glad to hear from
you, I was very sorry to hear that you
had been sick, but you must be very
careful of yourself for if you have the
Chronic diarrhea it is apt to always trouble
you, so keep it off all you can  when I
wrote you before I told you that Billy
was a going to sea, his voyage was a short
one, he went off the 29 of April  his father
went up to Boston with him and see him
aboard the ship and stop up there one night
with him and past day William came home
and left Billy there board the Kate Prince
she hauled out into the stream the next
morning and waited for a fair wind a week
and in that time Billy got sick enough of
the sea the mates were cross swearing

 

[p.2]
drinking fellow and he wunt used to such
treatment, and his food was trash and duff
all the time he was there and that he
said was horse flesh  he said he did not have
his belly full while he was there and
not a bit of fresh water to wash himself
in and he got so dirty he did not know
what he should have done had he gone the
voyage  he say he should have starved to
death  the second friday in May the Captain
wanted to come up to East Boston  they
lay off six miles from there and he asked
the Carpenter & Billy to row him up
Billy was glad of the chance he made up
his mind that he did not go back again.
so the Captain told him to be back to
the boat at three o clock  Billy say will sir
so as soon as he see him off he put he
went to Aunt Nabby Hanscom and wash
himself up and got some supper and after
dark he went over to Chelsea and staid over
night and next morning he got into the
smoking car and came home, I was surprised

 

[p.3]
to see him for I expected he was out to
sea he left all his clothes only what
he had on his back  I don’t suppose we
shall ever see anything more of them he
had a lot fifty or sixty dollars but we
don’t care as long as he got home so well we
had good laugh over it to think he run away
from the Captain, we were afraid they would
would come after him but they sailed the next
day glad enough was we to hear it they had gone
that has satisfied him he never wants to hear
it mentioned now  William has work enough
this season and the boys both work with him
repairing and building an addition to houses,
George has just come in for some paper to
write to you so I had got mine about
written and told him we would put them
both into one, I think I shall go to Acton
the last of this month  it is three years since
I was up. Yesterday William & Billy went up to
Concord NH to a great democratic Mass meeting
Frank Peirce was president of the meeting they
had a grand time it was estimated fifty thousand
were there  they went in open cars for half price

 

[p.4]
they heard some of the big men speak they come
to the conclusion that this war wont end by fight
ing it must be settled in some other way what
do you think aint  most tired of it would you
like to come home  it is no use for me to
write any more for you wont be able to read
this it look so  is the fellow that are on
guard with you from Acton but I will close
for you will have enough for one time write
when you can we all send our Love to you
want you to come and see us when you can
Good by this time Hersina