1865 page 6

web farmhouse

Drake Farmhouse
about 1890

Martha Drake to Theodore Drake
Oak Grove, Wis. to ?
dated: July 14. 1865

Dear Brother,
We received your letter last Monday & have not as yet written for the reason that we
heard your Reg. was in Milwaukee & was expecting to hear from you ---- --- would come
home, but have just found out to the contrary, so I thought I would write right off. ----
Driscoll just came from there & said you nor your reg --- -------------------- has been after
his discharge. came home to night a free man & citizen. But he saw a ---- direct from
Louisville hospital. he had a hospital discharge & said you could get one if you know how
to go to work to do it. He said he was not in your company but knew you by sight. he
thought it would be much better if you could get a hospital discharge so you could come
home more comfortable. would not have to lay around in action ever so long. to wait for
your discharge. He said he came on a passenger car & they gave him money to pay his
way & allowed him a dollar for every 20 miles to get victuals. he says you can save
money in this way if you could get a hospital discharge. We have looked very anxiously
for you home since we heard your reg was in Milwaukee. we heard yesterday that your
Reg. had started but we hear so many things. we don’t know what to believe. Father says
he thinks best for you to get a hospital discharge then for you to come with the reg. if you
are not well you get all paid off when your discharged. Father says bring your blankets
and all with you. he says you can keep your arms for six dollars & you had better do it.
Tommy Griffin started for Louisville last Tuesday & said he would come right to the
hospital & see you. tell us in your next how you are. particular and if you are confined to
your bed any of the time. tell us if Tommy comes to see you. we were going to send you
some things by him, but you wrote you did not want us to send you anything, so we did
not do it. We are saving lots of things for you. Mother has preserved you some
Raspberries & Strawberries & Cherries & some honey. our bees swarmed again
yesterday. so we have three swarms now. Father & Charley are very busy now, haying.
They have all gone to the ----- to night to a Exhibition it rained when they started so I did
not go. We had a visit today from Eliza [Givens], she has lost her oldest brother this
spring. R. Bray is home. Dave Mahoney came day before yesterday & is sick. So is
Charley McQ they brought him home on a bed & he has been very sick ever since with
Typhoid fever*. Dr. goes to see him twice a day. he is a little better now, but is of the
times, the boys are none of them well. Tim is not very well either. I had a good time the
4th. went to Milwaukee to the Soldiers fair saw lots of nice things. charly took Mary N
to Lowell to a dance. We recd. a letter from Uncle John last week. he seems very much
disappointed that you never have written to him. he speaks of it in every letter he writes.
I wish you would write him a good long letter, it would do him lots of good. he is very
anxious to know what Clarks old place can be bought for. he has a great notion of buying
it bit I don’t know what for. if he buys it you better get him to let you have it. you can
pay him as you raise the crops. we heard today, L. [Damp] was liver struck but don’t
know as it is so. ----------- the last I heard. Joe’s folks have not been down in some time.
You speak of you & me supporting ourselves. yes we can easy do it if there is anything to
do. Carrie N. & I talk of going to St. Louis next fall to see if we cant get something to
do. well I have written all necessary so will close. write just as soon as you receive this &
let us know how you are & about your coming home if you know. take good care of
yourself that you don’t get down sick. if you should get sick & can’t come home, write &

we will come after you. don’t neglect to write soon & often. we join in love to you.
Good night,

Your Sister,
Martha

*Charles McQuivey was the brother of Jennie and the second brother to die as a result of
the war. William was killed on the battlefield during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia.

From: Martha Drake at Oak Grove Wis.
To: Theodore Drake
July 22, 1865

Dear Brother.
We have looked very anxiously everyday this week for a letter from you. but have not
as yet recieved any. we begin to feel alarmed. for fear you are sick and can’t write. why
don’t you write on time. so we will get one -- --- every week. are you sick? or what is
the reason you don’t write. the last letter we received was written on the 5th. that is a
long time. if you are sick and can’t write why don’t you get someone to write for you. I
know there is someone that will write for you. write and let us know right off if you are
sick and can’t come home. Father will come after you. We did not know but you had
started home or as the reason we did not hear from you. we had heard several times that
the 3rd reg. had come. or was expected such a time. but is contradicted every time. so
we don’t hear or know anything about you. Tommy Griffin came home again day before
yesterday. he is mustered out. He went to Louisville. got there at night & they were
mustering the reg. out. so he had to start right back the next morning & did not get a
chance to come and see you. he promised us when he was home two weeks ago. he
would come & see you for us. but it seems he could not. Jack is in Madison yet but will
be home next week & part of the 29th reg have arrived. R. Gray & Marsh have come.
but them that have enlisted last did not get to come home. W. (H)ambright had to stay.
Our folks is busy in the hay now. they are not near done yet. Harvest is going to be quite
late I think. Father expects his dutch women (Women?) to help him again this year. I
wrote to you a week ago last night & gave you the particulars & told you about Tim &
Charleys being home and about Charley being sick.* he is failing fast. the Dr. has poor
hopes of him now. he says its very doubtful about his getting well. he is deranged most
of the time. Dave Mahoney came home sick too. has been very sick but is better now. I
believe Tim is not very well either but he works some. I have not seen or heard from Joe
in some time. I presume they will not be down now till after harvest. Uncle Stewarts are
well or were the last I heard. I don’t know of any news that would be interesting to you.
the 14th cavalry is expected soon. I don’t know wether Palmer is amongst them any more
or not as I have not heard a word from him since last fall. but Crowls heard from him in
March & have not heard since. Report was last week that Lafayette Dump was sunstruck
but it is not so as they have received two letters from himthis week. I visited at Northrops
day before yesterday. Tami came home with me stayed till last night. she is feeling as
usual. she has got done living in Watertown. her and I talk of going down to Spencers
this fall & go from there to St. Louis & get int mischief of some kind. Uncle Stewart was
there last spring. says they live in great style there. he sent us their family pictures & the
transfer Co. six in number. he says they have 150 horses. Sam Lambert is there too with
Uncle Hank. father wants you to let us know just how you are. and if there is a prospect
of your getting a discharge & if you are able to come home alone. if you should. if not he
says he will come after you. he wants to know if there is a prospect of your getting a
hospital discharge. or be mustered out with the reg. he thinks a hospital discharge is best.
as you could come right straight through on the express train & could come right home.
but we want you to write if its only a line and let us know. if you can’t write, get
someone else & tell us who to write to if we can’t hear from you. So if you get sick &
can’t write we can hear from you. so we can come after you. let us know how long it
takes for a letter to reach you & if you sit up all the time or if you keep your bed. also
your sargent’s name. now do not neglect any of these things. I will draw my letter to a
close. Hoping you are in good health & that we will hear from you very soon. I bid you
good-bye.

By sending you our love from all
Your sister
Martha Drake

Father will go to th ---- this after noon to mail this. if we should get a letter in tonights
mail, & you are still there, I will write tomorrow again if you are going to stay long
enough to get it.

* Charley was Jennies older brother.

Martha was bossy, wasn’t she.

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