Transcription
Addison Oct 31st /63
Dear Brother
Last night as I returned from the great “North Western Fair”(Ladies), for the benifit (sic)of the Soldiers, I called at the Post Office, and was agreeably surprised to find a good sized letter, to my address, on feeling the weight and stiffness of the letter, I at once thought that it must contain your “picture,” and therefore opened it in a hurry, I did not find what I expected by what was just as good: 10 pages covered with words in form of a very interesting letter.
I had already begun to despair, of ever getting a letter safely transmitted to you, as I did not receive any answer to my letter, I really do not know why your letter did not come to hand sooner, for last morning we received one from Schirmer dated Oct 7th 1863 while yours is dated Sept 26th.
As I have mentioned I returned from the fair last night. What I here saw I can not all enumerate, but will state only the most interesting articles: in the Supervisors room in the Court House house I saw a number of captured rebel Flags, and also some dilapidated Union Banners among others, that of the Washburne or Lead Mine Regiment of Illinois, this is described as being the first one that floated over Vicksburg In McVickers Theatre there was an assortment all kinds of comic, historical, personal, and other oil cloth paintings, there were two pictures of Gov. Yates, several of Gen. Grant (life size) and a lot of others, “too numerous to mention. It seems from your letter that you have the impression that I felt injured at your not giving me notice of the reception of my photograph. But here, I assure you, you are decidedly mistaken, and if did mention some-thing in my letter that sounded like it, I ask you to excuse me, for I did not mean to express anything of the kind. I believed that you had not received it & merely wished to know. I should like to send you a couple dollars in order to get your likeness, but as so many of our letters have been lost, I am afraid this might share the same fate and I will wait till “pay, day” so you may wait till then, to send it. “Right away” send me one then.
For this time I will have to close as I know no other news to communicate.
Your Brother
Herman
P.S. I believe I shall attend the Commercial College in a few weeks. I shall go home every Friday .
Herman A F Cottage Hill Ills
