The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI Was Given a Letter from my Great Grandfather William, who Served in the Union Army in the
Civil War.
Here is an excerpt.
"Why am I here? It is God's will. Men should not own men. That is abomination.. Please send me the pipe you promised, and the good Pennsylvania leaf."
Wolf
Suich
(10,642 posts)nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)Inspiring to think how many on the Union side were willing to die to free other human beings. At the same time appalling, though, to think how many Confederates were willing to die to prevent that freedom.
alphafemale
(18,497 posts)Johnny Appleseed sowed some other seeds in the woods.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)alphafemale
(18,497 posts)people have been smoken that at least as long as they have been smoken tobacco. lol
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)I was just wondering how common it was 150 years ago, out of pure curiosity...
alphafemale
(18,497 posts)It is the arrogence of youth to imagine they have invented pleasures.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,580 posts)I love hearing these voices from the past...
Thank you!
mockmonkey
(2,815 posts)the mail service is a little slow there.
REP
(21,691 posts)"Yesterday I was so sick I could not sit up. Today I can sit up, so tomorrow I think will rejoin my Regiment."
RedCloud
(9,230 posts)It will help cleanse some of the opposite line of thinking.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)I spent yesterday traipsing around Cedar Creek battlefield and stood in the same places my great great grandfather was during the battle. Gave me chills. He fought under Sheridan with VI Corps there (Union).
I do not have any personal artifacts. My dad had his commission to 1st Lieutenant but we have nothing as cool as an actual letter.
trof
(54,256 posts)Sorry, couldn't resist.
We used to get a lot of North-South Civil War flame wars.
Happily not so much any more.
Historians say that with modern communications we're losing those historical records and observations.
NO ONE WRITES LETTERS ANYMORE.
It's all email and texting and then it's deleted and there's no record for future generations.
Taverner
(55,476 posts)Exactly
Wolf Frankula
(3,600 posts)by answering a question as to why he is serving in the army. William says he was conscripted and did not have the 300 dollars to buy an exemption. After a while in uniform, he converted to the cause of freeing the slaves.
Most of the letter is complaining about the boredom of army life. "It's all marching, standing, waiting and more waiting", and the food, "We get shuffle bread (what is that?) and beans and coffee for breakfast, beans and salt bacon for dinner, shuffle bread, beans and salt pork and more coffee for supper. We are supposed to have a whiskey ration, but almost never get it"
And the good Pennsylvania leaf is tobacco. Possibly he broke his pipe and wanted a new one.
His writing is hard to make out.
Wolf
WilliamPitt
(58,179 posts)Another term for it is hardtack. Basically, unleavened bread. It keeps longer; perfect for troops in the field, if by "perfect" you mean "bullet-hard bread you can't chew without a swallow of water." Just a guess, but I think the term "shuffle bread" comes from the fact that it is hard and thin, so you could shuffle it like a deck of cards.
Very cool letter to have, frame it and protect it.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)I'd research what you can to do to protect the letter from degrading. I'm sure after 150 years it's already worn quite a bit. Take a scan of it for a picture frame and keep the original in a safe place.