Elkhart, Indiana history: 1862 Letter describes labor shortage due to Civil War

Description

Elkhart, Indiana history: Letter re labor shortage due to Civil War
A letter dated Elkhart, November 24th, 1862 from Ulrich Gehr to Andrew Monon[?]. The letter consists of one leaf of paper measuring about 9 5/8" x 8" and folded in half to create four pages. The letter is written on the first three pages.
The letter discusses a possible eviction and the removal of a fence.
In a passage on page 2, Gehr comments on the local labor shortage because men from the town "are all down in Jackson Tennesee to fight the sesesh [secession]" and “this County is just cleaned out of men.” He identifies four men from the area who have gone to war: Daniel Shockey, Martin Gehr, Theodore Nicodamus, and Abraham Burns.
The letter is well-preserved as shown. Gehr's writing is colloquial, his spelling eccentric, and his punctuation non-existent. Here is our rough transcription of the full text:
[page 1]
Elkhart November 24th 1862
Andrew S. Monon [?] Dear Sir I take up my pen to inform you concerning your place of John Shockey he has put Tomas Monnian in to take care of his corn and put in the crib for John Monnian he wants to stay on the place the next year and Daniel Shockey said he should not stay for he was not the rite kind of man Daniel told me so Daniel offert the place to Hiram Slaton and he dident know at the time whether he would take the place but to day he said he would take it now the difficulty is to get Monnian out of the house as I ain't got the power to order him out
[page 2]
Daniel said I should tend to it to rent the farm now I can rent the farm if I can get the power to put him out either from you or Daniel Shockey they are all down in Jackson Tennesee to fight the sesesh the Shockey boys is all gone and also Martin Gehr and Theodore Nicodamus and Abraham Burns and lots of others this County is just cleaned out of men there is none left but the half way men there is one thing to say Old Rigney was agoing to take that paster fence away since they left he said John said he mite and I told him he better not as he would be liable to damage now I don't know what he will doo when he Rigney gets back from New Orleans
[page 3]
as the place could not be rented if the fence should be taken away now if you want me to doo anny thing for you write soon and don't write in your letter to show that I wrote to you as I dont want thes men on my back No more at present but remain your friend Ulrich Gehr
he has to give a ritten Notice one year before he can take it away that is the fence i mean now you must forwarn him from takeing it away.
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