Corpus of American Civil War Letters s1

Corpus of American Civil War Letters Mary Alexander

Source: Letter of Mary F. Alexander, CACWL Collection

Mary F. Alexander (b. ca. 1834) was from the Boston area. She was married to William B. Alexander (b. ca. 1830-1900), a carpenter, and at the time of the 1860 Census, the couple had a five-year-old daughter, Ida. William mustered into service on April 23, 1861 as a 2nd lieutenant in the “Standish Guards, “ Co. B, 3rd Massachusetts Infantry (a three-month regiment.) He mustered out with the regiment on July 22, 1861 and on December 4, 1861 mustered into service as Captain of Co. E, 23rd Massachusetts Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of New Bern, North Carolina on March 14, 1862 and resigned his commission on December 28. At the time of the 1870 Census, the family was residing in Boston.

Transcribed by Michael Ellis

Mary F. Alexander to William B. Alexander

[added at top of page in pencil] here is 8 Stamps

No 44 Boston June 21st 1862 To My Only Earthly Friend Darling husband I received your Letter yesterday dated June 13th I was Very glad to heare from you for it seemes to me as though I could not wait for the boats to come from newbern With the Letters you cannot think how egeraly & anxiously I Watch the journal to find out When their is a boat gets in from newbern With sick and wounded for I know that I shall have a Letter then I wish I could have a half dozen at a time & dearest husband why will you not write me two Letters at a time write Jest the same as I do, when I write to you I do not know when the[y] will go but Expect you will get them some time now write at Least so that I can [page 2] have at least two letters from you Evry maile that comes dont think darling that I am finding fault with you for I am not, I see by the papers that their is to be a Lieut. E A Story leave tomorrow morning for newbern & will carry this if left at Lieut. Johnsons recruting office before 10 o clock in the morning, I shall send this by him & sunday shall write again to you for H L Pierce to carry he starts monday for newbern O how I do wish I was coming out with him to see my darling husband but I am not I shall never come to newbern untill you send for me so when I come you will be their to meet me or here to go out with me wich I should like very much indeed O my own dear husband you have been gorn from my side almost 8 months & now to night as I [am] [page 3] writting it seemes to me as though you was sitting by my side & I was talking with you When will that happy time come again when I can clasp my armes around your neck & call you my darling husband as I used to O it does seeme to me that I cannot have it so & at the same time I do not want you to resign & come home for I am afraid you would get talked about worse than Thomas has & that would be useless perhaps you can come home soon on a furlough & take me back with you, or if not perhaps you can come home & stay with your dear wife & child a short time , but O how I do long to have you to home for good again once more but when that will be is more than I can tell God only knows what the End will be or when it will be, O I feel that I have much to praise God for I think has watched over you dear husband [page 4] & spaird his life whilst many have fallen upon the right hand & upon the left.. O my heavenly father spair the life of my darling husband to return to a wifes & mothers Embrace, also may he be prepaired to live with the in Glory, the last letter that I wrote to you was dated in abington June the 15 & I mailed it in boston so you will see by that that I sent the I am here, I got home from abington monday, night, monday morning I sent up to the stable in abington & got a horse & drove it to south abington & back was gorn 4 Hours hitched the horse my self & on hitched him my self & had things all right mrs pratt was with me & I told her I guess you would laugh if you knew what I was doing I got along first rate mrs pratt sayed she knew nothing about driving a horse than a cow, Ida was with me all it cost [page 5] me was 25 cents for mrs pratt paid the other 25 so that it maid it come quite cheap it is 11 Oclock & I cannot write a great deal more on account of my Eyes Ida is somewhat better than she was when I wrote my last letter to you she will write you another letter soon. O dear William you do not know what a dreadful creature George Thomas has got to be he has been shut up in the lock up once he drinks dreadfuly poor hanah can not live with him he abuses her & the children shamefuly, they have had call in the police several times if Jobe was not there he would have killed her long ago he has knocked her down twice & once fell across her hurting her stomach very badly, say nothing to any one about this, O what a dreadful thing those dear children to be brought up [page 6] after such a fashion, if they were mine I would pray that God would take them home to himself, O the Idea of them having a drunkard for a father. O it is only one glass that has done this the daily dram O dear husband touch not taste not handle not one drop of any thing that will intoxicate you for God only knows what I should do if I had a man for a husband that got drunk O I could not Love him, but I do not think I ever shall have as long as you live do not touch it for my sake there is considerable talk about otis liking liquor pretty well. so some say that have come home that are good honest men but they do not say it of you & I am pleased they do not, for O how should I fear to have it said about you your husband drinks or he is drunk half of his time God forbid that I [page 7] should ever live to hear that of you but we will drop this subject & say what do you think about thomas being authorised by the govener to raise a Company dont you think his back has got well quick I do & I guess some other folks do to, before this you have received the letter with Lydia Neddings Card in it, it is jest one week ago last night since she was married & I guess she is spoilt by this time dont you.. if you dont hurry & come home we shall have to get married once again for I have slept so long with out you it would seeme funny to get into bed with a man I am afraid I should be a little bashful dont you think so I do henry Peirees wife was in a family way she took something to get clear of it & that was what killed her O I think she had better have had dont you, please say [ink very faint at beginning of the line] [page 8] anything about this to any one for it was told very privately to me, Give my love to otis & Lieut. Drew. next month is the month I that I am going to plymouth to be confined that is the story story that [confined = waiting to give birth] is going the rounds in plymouth but I guess it will be the Longest nine months they ever saw dont you, but it is getting Late & I must close by sending lotts of kisses & Lots of love to my dear darling husband I suppose you will like to know what got new this summer nothing but a sack bonnet & dress I have bought Ida 4 gingham dresses & she is tickled with them I will send you a piece of them to please her this is from your own true Loving & affectionate Wife goo night darling From your own true Dear wife

M F Alexander write often wont you darling