CIVIL WAR LETTER - 13th Wisconsin Infantry at Ordnance Office Chattanooga, TN !

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
Written at Ordnance Office in Chattanooga, TN by Soldier in 13th Wisconsin Infantry
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Andrew (“Andy”) B. Lee who entered
Co. H, 13th Wisconsin Infantry,
as a private in November 1861 and mustered out as a sergeant four years later. The company roster indicates Andrew was from Koshkonong, Jefferson county, Wisconsin.
Andy was detailed away from his regiment to work in the Ordnance Office at Chattanooga under the command of Capt. Augustus H. Kummel of Co. C, 13th Wisconsin Infantry. Furthermore, we learn that the ordnance office to which he was attached had their quarters and office in the Catholic Church in Chattanooga.
He wrote this letter on stationary from the "Assistant Ordnance Office, Department of the Cumberland" in Chattanooga, TN
TRANSCRIPTION
Assistant Ordnance Office
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Nov. 16, 1864
My Dear Nephew,
Your favor of late date came safe to hand yesterday. I must say that it is both lengthy and interesting. Glad to know that you are still in the enjoyment of good health. You say that you will soon put out to sea on the fresh water lake or river and then I think you will have some fun. No doubt you will enjoy such a life. I hope you will at least. I presume to say you will have enough work to do when your vessel shoves out to sea. Your vessel must have powerful machinery to accomplish the business which she is designed for. I suppose it will be quite interesting to witness the machinery to work when you are pumping up water out of the sunken vessels and also when raising the wrecks of the sunken vessels.
I have not received a letter from Sarah J. McCollins since I last wrote you. Neither have I from father. I look for one every day. I received a Whitewater Register today from John L. McCollis. It has a new notice of marriage in it. Who do you suppose it is? Well, I will tell you. Mr. Thomas Kyle and Miss Mary Boyd. Well Miss Mary has got married quite young. She is quite a good looking lady. She was quite young looking I know last spring when I was home. Agnes says in her letter that she knew that they were going to be married some time but she did not think that they were going to do it so quick. I told Agnes in my answer to her letter that I wished them all sorts of success in their new life=(as follows): I wished them days of ease and nights of pleasure, fat babies and British measure. I suppose she will think that I am rather rude in my expressions. I expect she will give me fits in her answer.
I received a letter from Friend Hawley a few days ago in which he stated that Elvira was going to teach school this winter and Mary was going to school also. Consequently he would be left alone. He said that Elvira had written all his letters to me for him but he said that he would endeavor to answer my letters himself though the undertaking will be a hard one. He wished me to write often and he would reply. I answered his letter last evening. I told him in the best style that I am capable of doing that. I was very sorry to lose such a good correspondent as Elvira is. I come right out and told him that.
I received a letter from Agnes Boyd a few days ago in which she stated that sister Mary and Thomas Kyle had gone out of the state of Wisconsin into the state of matrimony and she said that she was left all alone—an old maid—to dance in the
Hogs Trough
but she said that there is as good fish in the sea as ever was caught. Agnes is living in Johnstown and hosbeer [?] all summer, and she went home a few days before she wrote me and after she had been home about two hours sister Mary—the late Mrs. Kyle—told her that they had been married two weeks. There was not anyone hardly knew that they were married but their own folks and the minister, Rev’d Minor of Whitewater, who married them. She don’t say whether at home or in Whitewater. I presume it was in the latter place. They must have kept the matter quite still. I do not know what their object was in doing so but I suppose it is the best way to do it up. Agnes says that Thomas Kyle must have his pockets full of gold the way he has commenced as he has purchased John Vance’s farm and the place that William Kyle lived on and that he is going to build a new house and barn in the spring. He is going to live with his father-in-law this winter.
I should address a few lines to Miss Elvira soliciting a continuance of her correspondence. I am going to do so one of these days.
I do not know what the old folks will think about the matter. I’ll bet they will have some fuss over it. I will write a few very tender lines to her requesting the correspondence. I do not know whether she will answer or not. If she does not, I think I will live through it. If she answers, I will report to you accordingly. I though this was a pretty good chance for me to broach the subject and I thought I would commence right at the old folks and then they will all understand the matter. I stated to Hawley that I did not mean to have him think but what I knew that his letters would be good and interesting to me. I also thanked him for his kindness in stating that he would be glad to receive my letters and answers them promptly. But I praised up Elvira’s letters stating that I could not possibly think of losing such a good female correspondent (Well. Andrew, I think I have said enough on this subject).
Well, I see by the newspapers that Old Abe is reelected for 4 years more. I hope he will bring this cursed and cruel war to a close before his next term expires. Sherman has started on his expedition. I do not know for certain where he is going to strike. Some say Mobile and some says Savannah, Georgia. He takes three Corps with him and 10 days rations. Atlanta is to be burned and evacuated by our troops. For want of space, I must close hoping to hear from you soon. — A. B. Lee
TERMS
.00 postage in the United States.  We accept Paypal.
Postage combined for multiple purchases.  Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise you will pay a higher rate.
For International buyers, we utilize eBay’s Global Shipping Program.  We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing.  So we believe this program will be safer for us and for you.
We are members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.
We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions).  Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog.
We have been selling on eBay since 1998.   BID WITH CONFIDENCE !