October 14, 1864

October 14, 1864

 Letter from Sarah E. Andrews to James A. Andrews, October 14, 1864
Friday eve. Oct. 14th, 1864

No. 7th

Dear Brother Jimmie,

Here I am seated again this evening ready to write you another letter. The second today. Perhaps you will find it wearisome to read so many. Mary says you may if I write long ones; but I think not, I imagine they will be too welcome to be considered a burden.

We all feel very bad that you did not get more letters while in Madison. You must have got more than one before you left. Mother and Mary keep up such an incessant talking that I can hardly write. If you should not find much connection to this epistle you must consider that I am not wholly to blame.

I went to the P. O. this afternoon to get a letter from you, but had to come home without one. Mr. [T. S.] Seymour's people had one from Ira written on Sunday. He said that you would leave for Nashville the next day.
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Now while I write you are far, far away from your peaceful home and those who love you Jimmie. Yes, far away midst the din and strife of war. I never half realized before what war is. I wish that our armies might be so victorious that the rebels would gladly lay down their arms and that right speedily, then you could come home again; and the thousands of others who are away from the comforts of home.

I am afraid that you may not be as comfortable now as you were while in Madison. You may find it more difficult to buy what you need in Nashville than you did in your own state, but do not suffer for those comforts that you can buy. You must write to us just how you are situated, what the Government furnished you. Have you good woolen stockings and under clothing and good boots? Do take the best care of yourself. If you have to be out on guard protect yourself well. You know that you are not strong and exposure may make you sick.

I left this letter unfinished last night and shall have to hasten to get it to the office in time so I have left everything to finish it.

I went out yesterday afternoon to make some calls. I suppose you are interested in that. Well first I called at Mrs. [S. A.] Clewell's, then at Mrs. Dexters. There I found Mrs. Elwell. She said that they were going away in about two weeks. They are boarding at the City Hotel.

Then I went to Mrs. Evans, had a very pleasant call. I was intending to call on Mrs. Knight but found her at Mrs. Evans. They are going away from here she said, Mr. Knight thought that he could do better somewhere else. They leave next Monday. She is very anxious to see Ceal before she leaves. I told her that we should look for her home tonight and if she came she would go down Monday morning and see her. I hope she will come today as it is pleasant and we may not have much more pleasant weather.

I saw Aunt Lydia last evening and she said when Ada invited Lib to go over there they intended to go to St. Paul. They were going yesterday. I suppose of course that they could not take the fourth one with them and that was probably the reason why I was not invited. I am glad they did not for I think that it would have been taxing Emory too much. Ada told them up to Aunt Lydia's that I had so much to do this week I could not go and next week was the Institute and of course I could not go then, and if they put off going until the week after it was going to make it so late that they thought they had better not wait. The joke of it was she did not say anything to me about it nor any of the family, neither did we say anything to her about having much to do. When you write to her do not mention what I have said, for I do not care anything for it. I merely wrote to you of it for I thought it was quite a laughable excuse.

Augusta Fulton called here yesterday. She said the night before Fred Burhyte was very sick, he had had a tooth out and one
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cleaned, ready to fill. He was in such pain for a while they thought he would die, they sent for the doctor; he pulled the other tooth and in a little while he got better. His father is getting better.

Mr. [D. W.?] Armstrong's people are moving into their house. Mr. [G. I.] Ap Roberts' family have gone to River Falls to live.

I am sorry that we did not write more to you while you were in Madison, but you know we did not know your address at first. We mean to send you three or four letters every week now, perhaps more, for you must be lonely.

Mother sends love, and says that she wishes she could see her Jimmie this pleasant morning. Nellie says tell Jimmie that she was glad to get that paper. Write soon and write everything to Sister Sarah.

If I should be too particular about writing of everything you must excuse me, for I thought you wanted to hear all.