Transcription
Addison Ills., March 13 1864
Dear Brother,
Your letter dated Febr 16th 1864 I received last Friday on coming home, and although your lonsomeness is only what I expected, I was still happy to learn that you are in health, the 33rd Reg, is not yet here and so we did not have an opportunity to hear any thing from you only from your letters. I admit that I was somewhat astonished when I learned from your letter to father that you did not re-enlist, but I was agreeably astonished when I read your letter; for when father told me of it I rather thought that you was really sacrificing your desire of reenlisting but when I read your letter I found that you had other reasons for not so doing for I think that you have done enough, and if any further soldiers should be neded[sic] after you time is up then I hope you will be content to stay at home and let me enlist for as long as you are gone I will have to stay at home.
Last Thursday evening Gov Yates speeched in Bryan Hall and I went to hear him, I was pleased with the entertainment, the only fault I find (you must excuse me for venturing to say something to find fault with him) is; that he praised, Lincoln a little too much he called him a second Washington, and also said “Old Abe is not only an honest man but from intimate acquaintance with him I can safely say; that he is one of the greatest men that ever lived” now if this is the Gov’s opinion, of course he was right in saying it, but I rather fear that he did not mean what he said, for although I am called an abolitionist and follower of Lincoln etc by some of my schoolmates who are rather “Jeffy’s friends” I do not think Lincoln the greatest man in history. But Gov. Yates has a very good opinion of copperheads.sais (sic) he” The meanest creature that God ever made, - if he ever did make him – is a copperhead” And again “ I never disgraced a negro enough to think him as mean as Storey of the Times this is not the negroes fault but it is Storey’s fault”, I will try to get the Tribune when I go back to Chicago and send that to you that you can read the speech yourself.
I tried to get a Fowler and Wells Physiology but could not get it I can however get Wells, and now have got Hitchcocks Physiology, I would have sent one but I donot (sic) know the best way whether by mail or Express, if I do send one in a short time from this letter I wish you would let me know what you think of it, I believe that I shall send you Hitchcocks and if you don’t like it upon getting let me know, the Title of the one you would like to have, in the Store where I tried to get Fowler and Wells, they said that it must be a mistake for they knew of no such Book
We have got but one hired man now whom father pays $156.00 for 1 year ending in November, besides this Wm Reinking stays with us during this winter but father has not I believe made any arrangements for keeping him yet, and Butcher Schweppe who lives in our house (the old Log house on “Boehler’s Swamp) works for us in the Spring and Summer and his brother who lives in Reincke’s house has engaged to work for brother Henry so that we shall probably not have many inconveniences from that source only perhaps high wages, which as the Grain etc fetches good prices, farmers can afford to give. I shall probably not get through my courses of Book-keeping this Winter as I could not work Saturdays not in the evenings because that is the time for writing, I have tried one evening to keep books but I found that my eyes would not stand it I have therefore resolved to go to writing exercises in the evening and not spoil my eyes.
I like Book-keeping very much and although I would like to go to some literary College, I guess I shall have to content my self. I would really like to take a full course of Mathematics and also study Latin and French and I hope some time to have a chance to study French in particular, But enough for this once
Your Brother Herman
