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Drake Family plot in Beaver Dam Cemetary
(I think)
Near Oak Grove, Wisconsin
Martin Drake to Theodore Drake
Oak Grove to Louiseville, KY
dated: June 25, 1865
Dear Son Theodore,
Your letter of the 19th ---- to Martha has been duly recd. I find you have been
detached from your regt on acct of your ill heath. From what I can learn your health has
been impaired to some extent. for some time past it seemed the diarhoia has taken hold of
you and has been upon you for some time past according to what you write. you say you
are nothing but skin and bone and if you don’t succede in checking it, it may be the means
of your never returning home. you must take particular care of yourself. has your disease
assumed a chronic form yet. if it has you will require different medecine (so says the
doctor). you will also require different food. I went to Watertown yesterday to see
Doctor Spaulding in refference to your complaint. he wrote a rect. or rather prescribed
how you should treat yourself. I mailed it to you yesterday. he says it would be of no
manner of use to send you any medecine from here as you could get anythng you wanted
from the sanitary commifsion free of expense. He allowed you to eat anything you had a
relish for. green fruit of all kinds if you wished. which I have always heard spoken of as
not being prudent for a person complaining as you do. After mailing my letter to you I
called to see Dr. Johnston and stated your situation to him. also that D. Spaulding had
allowed you to eat all or any thing you wished except BACON, sowbelly as he called it.
also your green fruit which he said was entirely out of order. He said if you indulged in
eating much green fruit it would kill you before you was aware of it. He gave me a receiot
for the chronic diahora which I will enclose for your benefit I hope. He says you can go to
the surgeon and get him to prepare it for you and it will cure you right up. My advice to
you is what medecine you take that you are not accquainted with, you had better take a
little at a time until you see the effect it may have on you. your diet should be light he
says. a little fresh beef or mutton boiled-and some chicken if you can get it would be best
for you to eat. some blackberry wine or good brandy he thinks would be good for you. I
conversed with several persons yesterday who said there would be no trouble at all in your
getting a furlough for sixty days if you could not get your discharge. Dr. Spaulding says
for his part he should rather get a furlough and come home as your pay would be going on
all the time. and in all probability you would never be required to go int the service again.
He says the latest order is to discharge all ivalids or those sick in the hospitals. I think
perhaps it would be best for you to apply for a furlough and come home if you can do so
as it may be the means of your getting well much sooner than for you to remain in the
service where you are. You can have more particular care than where you are. The rect. I
sent you yesterday Doct. Spaulding says would not do for you to take. it is a rect. I got
from McQuivey*. I don’t mean the one Spaulding has written. I mean ---- that would be
good if the disease had not assumed a chronic shape but in that case it would be too
severe for you. the ca-sicune cayenne pepper he says if your bowels was much inflamed
would burn you up but in a common case of Dia---- it might be good. I sent you
yesterday a couple of dollars more and some stamps hoping it may not be as heretofore be
miscarried and not reach you. I have sent you a letter three times but it has appeared you
have not recd. any but once the first I sent you. went to the ded letter office and was
returned. so I mailed that to you again yesterday hoping it will reach you in safety. If you
do not get to come home and need more let me know and I will send you more. I will
send but little at a time for fear it will not reach you. I believe Martha answered about all
the questions you asked. Therefore will say but little about it. The fore part of the
season was very dry and our crops looked verry bad. but we have had some late rains that
caused them to liven up considerably. beginning to look tolerably well except our corn
which is rather short and backward. did not all come the first planting. had to plant over.
that is very short but may be something yet if the season suits. Write more frequently if
you can.
Truley Yours,
Martin Drake
*The McQuivey family were neighbors of the Drake family. They lost two sons to the
war.
Charley (Charles L.) died at home as a result of his wounds and William F. was killed in
battle at the seige of Petersburg in Virginia. Theodore married Mary Jane (Jennie)
McQuivey in May of 1871 after a long courtship. Her father never stopped professing his
dislike of Theodore. My theory is this-They were very good friends before the war. In
fact Theodore and Charley were “best friends”. The animosity and dislike of Mr.
McQuivey for the Drakes surfaced after the death of his sons and he possibly resented the
fact that Theo survived.
Theodore Drake to Martin Martin Drake
Div. Hospital, Louiseville K.Y. to Oak Grove, Wisconsin
dated: June 28, 1865
Dear Father,
I recd. a letter from Martha the 25th of this month she was then at Uncle Stewarts so
to ans them all around I concluded to write to you. I recd. one from [Lew] the same time
I did Martha’s. I also recd. one from Em last night. I am happy to hear that you are all
well. I wish I could say so of myself but I am happy to inform you that I am much better
than I was when I came here. I was sent here the 25th of this month fron Div. Head Qrts.
I belong at present to the Provost Guards, detailed for Div. H. Qrts a great deal of inquiry
is made in regard to my discharge every letter that I get I am asked 4 or 5 times about it
and what I have to eat now I get tired of such & certainly will tell you as soon as I know
myself. in regard to what I have to eat all I have to say is enough I am not going to the
trouble of naming over in every letter I write what I have to eat. they never write anything
about prices. I recd. the $2 you sent me in Linas letter while I was at Nash. I wrote to
Martha since I came here for some more as I need more than I would if I was well. If you
have not sent it yet I should like to have you do so but change the direction from P.
Guards to my Co. for I can get it sooner. The Regt. is going to be paid off soon where
should I send my pay to Watertown I guess & send it by express. I have been thinking
about taking my U.S. pay & buying me a good mare & raise me a pair of colts I should
like your advise on the matter or if it would be best to let you use it to pay off your debts.
If I buy a horse you could sell old Ball & still have a team. I want nothing but a good
mare or a pair of yearling colts. I think it is time for me to look out for the future. I am
the only boy in our neighborhood but what has got something to start on. What is the
Tobaco prospect do you think you can sell it. how much corn are you raising this year &
how does it look. what is the crop prospect in general. now Father, I should like very
much to have you write to me & give me some information in regard to home affairs,
prices, your taxes & c. I have got more clothing than I can carry just now & I guess I will
box some up & send it home is there an express office at clyman. if there is I will send
them there. I will tell you what clothing I hav & how I came by it. 4 pr. of pants 3 pr of
drawers 3 pr of sox & 3 shirts I just drawed 2 pr of new pants I picked up the other I
drawed at home but they are most worn out. one shirt C. Mc,* gave me the other 2 I
took from home 2 pr of sox also. I have also a dress coat that was thrown away by the
guards. I will send the following articles home 1 shirt 1 pr of pants coat-2 pr of drawers
& some pocket trash I picked up on the Battle fiels as trophies also 1 gold pen & holder
I found on the cars on my way from Wash. here. the country around Louisville is the most
beautiful I ever saw every thing looks so nice all kinds of shade trees of all kinds of fruit.
the crops here look fine & promise a big yield. there is plenty of new Potatoes here,
onions, peas, beans, beets sallid in fact almost any thing you can mention except green
corn & there will be some of that in the course of a week or ten days. wages are high here
from $25 to 30 Dol per month according to quality of hand. some are getting paid in gold
I don’t know but I have written enough for this time & so I will close. tell mother not to
fret about me for I am getting better fast. my love to all
Respectfully yours
From your son
Theodore Drake
P.S. Direct all of your letters as below after this or till I tell you to change the direction
Co. B. 3rd Wis. Inft
2nd Brigade
Temporary Div. 14th A.C.
*Charles McQuivey