Transcription
Addison May 29th 1864
Dear Brother,
Your welcome letter dated 25th ult was received some time ago but as I wished to write you a good long answer, I postponed it till today when I had time & I will go through all your letter & answer as well as I can, I heartily agree with you in your opinion of Old Abe & also the Gov. what I inferred in the letter you mention, was not intended to be interpreted as a suspicion of the general character of Yates, only in that particular point did I feel a little suspicious. I very well know that this is the way with all politicians, but then it don’t seem quite right, but after all you must sometime say more in praise of persons than you think i.e. you can not always speak your mind, if it be out of mere politeness, you would not call a scamp a scamp: but enough of this, I hope to see Old Abe in the Presidential chair another term in spite of the efforts of the Copperheads & radical abolitionists who I am sorry to say move against the Government & especially against Lincoln that even the worst of copperheads but they (the ultra radicals) are few in number. As I let you know in some previous letter I was not able to get Fowler & Wells physiology. The booksellers thought there must be some mistake in the title given by you, they did not know of any such book. I expect father will keep Wm Reinking your question concerning him is answered as follows. He is a brother-in-law of Henry’s i.e. our Sister-in-law’s brother, he came to America about 2 years since, is about 29 years of age & served ten years in Hanover Cavalry, he is a very tall & pretty well educated, in all a very agreeable companion if you take into consideration that he served ten years. I have finished my course at Bryant & Stratton College about a month ago & have since worked & I think this will be the last of my school days if the war don’t close soon, for I shall then be getting too old to spend 6 or 7 years to go through a College, but if the war does close soon & father is willing I hope any way to get my wishes realized in regard to my mind. I am afraid you value it too highly, for I feel now that my memory is getting poorer. Yes, although I don’t like to admit it brother George knows more about Geography than I do, & you know how much I studied that particular branch. I have got my diploma from B & S & I did not have much trouble about it either. Your fears that father would not like to give his consent to have you go to the Normal University is entirely unfounded, indeed he did not have a single objection to it when I told him of it & requested me to write to you that you might make your arrangements with the officers right off. He is at church & can not therefore write it(?) himself. You will therefore act accordingly. We received a letter from August dated May 20th a few days ago of which the following as extracts “On the 15th we had a hard fight with the rebs, our brigade was in Skirmish, that is several companies of the different Regiments on the 13th & on the 15th our troops made a charge in which our whole brigade was engaged. The enemy were well fortified on the top of a high hill where they had 4 pieces of Artillery but our troops drove them out of their place. . . It grieves me to think of the dead & wounded. Our Brigade lost in dead, wounded & missing I think 350. The loss of our Reg. was not as heavy as that of the others.”
Note: Herman Fischer to Frederick
Note: The Elmhurst Historical Museum does not have the final page(s) of this letter.