This letter is regarding: Civil War
Status: Completed
Pages: 3
From: H. Clark
To: William and Nancy Turner Wyman
Others mentioned: Thomas Wyman
Document Date: 1863 October 18
Sunday Oct 18th 63
Dear Uncle & Aunt,
I acknowledge the receipt of your letter bearing date of Sept. 27th for which I feel very pleased to think you have not forgotten me. Please excuse me for not writing oftener. It is hard work for me to write. I have not forgotten you. I think of you often. Our family are all well except myself. My health is poor. I am troubled with a scrofulous sore on my ankle and am having quite a hard time with the rheumatism.
We have four girls and one little boy about 3 years old. We lost one little girl about 6 years old. She died with the diphtheria one year ago last August. 1862 was a hard year for me and my family. We was all sick except my wife a long time.
Dear uncle, you write of visiting Keene. Next winter I hope you will visit us. If you can at any rate, I will try to visit you at Keene, if my health will permit, and you will let me know what time you will be there.
I am glad you have so good an office. It will help you in your old age. You ask when will their cursed rebellion have an end. That is not for me to say, but when our officers find out that the white men are as good as the niggers, then I think they will compromise in some way, so there will be white men enough left to take care of the niggers and the Abolitionist and dough faces of the north will learn to mind their own business and the South will also learn to have some regard for their own interest. Then, they will learn a lesson that they never learnt before. Then, I think the rebellion will end. Our officers are too well paid to have the war come to an end very quick. Call me Copperhead or anything you please, I have a right to my own views and so have you.
My best respects to you all,
Hiram Clark
Write soon. Good night.
NB I have not heard anything from Thomas Wyman for two or three years. He was in California last I heard from him. Luese too lives in Charleston, VT So you see that she and I are all the Wyman decent alive left in these parts.
H. Clark
Hiram Clark – Hiram was the son of Silas Clark and William Wyman’s sister, Betsey Wyman Clark.
Keene – William Wyman was born in Keene, New Hampshire where many of his relatives remained.
Doughface – In the years leading up to the American Civil War, “doughface” was used to describe Northerners who favored the Southern position in political disputes. Typically it was applied to a Northern Democrat who was more often allied with the Southern Democrats than with the majority of Northern Democrats. Wikipedia
Copperhead – In the 1860s, the Copperheads, also known as Peace Democrats, were a faction of Democrats in the Union who opposed the American Civil War and wanted an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. Wikipedia
NB – Nota Bene is a Latin expression meaning “note well.”
Click to Enlarge
Source: Fair Haven Public Library, Raymond T. Sant Document Collection
Thank you to Pat Ridgeway for transcribing this letter.