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Kezia Stradley Osborne to Roland C. Osborne, April 30, 1862

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  • In this letter of April 30, 1862, Kezia Stradley Osborne describes various problems and needs at home to her husband, Roland C. Osborne.
  • April 30, 1862 Pigeon River April 30th 1862 My Dear Husband I felt a little better this evening so I left my boy, and rode down to Uncle Josephs, and spent an hour or two with them. It looked like going home, like I used to go last spring. I almost looked for you to come out and help me off my horse and kiss me, and say “why you have come back to see me again.” But such was not the case. I tell you Dear I feel like I could live any where under any circumstances if you could only be with me and Rufus. I thought about trying to get you a substitute before you wrote about it. But I tell you I am afraid it will be a bad chance there is nobody to hire to do any thing. I have felt like more like giving up this last week than I have done for some time. One reason is I have not been well. The day I wrote to you last week I was taken sick suddenly, vomiting with high fever, produced by severe cold I thought. Dr. Allen came to see me three or four days and at last got his medicine to act. It has left me very weak, but I am improving I acknowledge I am low spirited. I don’t think you will wonder at that. But I will do the best I can for the sake of our boy. Sweet child he is a little thing now he is one pound lighter than when I weighed him at Asheville nine weeks ago. Sometimes I think this home [house?] does not suit him and me. But I will stop such low talk and tell you something that is more pleasant. Your wheat looks splendid I think you will make lots of it. The clover below our house looks fine and green. They got done sowing your oats yesterday. I think they will be too late to do much good. I suppose they will plant you some corn. Don’t you think they had better sell Duff [?] if you don’t get to come home soon. He would sell for a [$] 151 or 175 now and you know he will soon be getting to old to sell so well it would be stopping the interest on your debts. I think your Father might spare him now for old Julia’s [?] colt is dead. He will not have any young colts this spring but one. Your little colt has been nearly dead with distemper those two fillies are still here and I am sorry [sic, sorry] for it. Have you sent Father any money for them. I expect he needs it badly to get his crop made, though he never said so to me. Your Father says he will do the best he can to get some one in your place. He says for you not to offer for any Office but to keep your present place if you can. You will not be so much exposed and will have a better chance to get off. I don’t want you change your place if you can help it. Uncle Joseph thinks this war will not last much longer. That is all my hope now. I hope you will get a furlough any hour. This law does seem very hard but I reckon it is a Military necessity and we ought to submit as cheerfully as possible. Let me know right off what sort of clothes you will need me to send you this summer. I will try to make them for you. I want visit a bout next week, my health requires it. I think I will spend the month of June on Swanannoa for I am not much account to work any way. I feel like I would soon see you. I pray that I may. Be a good boy. Don’t get out of heart. There is a better day coming I hope when we will meet again. Your Wife and Boy [top of page 1, written upside down above the salutation and date] – Aunt Mira sends her love to you. She says the baby does her to look at instead of you. She is glad you don’t forget her Osborne Civil War letters Annotated versions prepared by George Frizzell
Object
  • In this letter of April 30, 1862, Kezia Stradley Osborne describes various problems and needs at home to her husband, Roland C. Osborne.
  • April 30, 1862 Pigeon River April 30th 1862 My Dear Husband I felt a little better this evening so I left my boy, and rode down to Uncle Josephs, and spent an hour or two with them. It looked like going home, like I used to go last spring. I almost looked for you to come out and help me off my horse and kiss me, and say “why you have come back to see me again.” But such was not the case. I tell you Dear I feel like I could live any where under any circumstances if you could only be with me and Rufus. I thought about trying to get you a substitute before you wrote about it. But I tell you I am afraid it will be a bad chance there is nobody to hire to do any thing. I have felt like more like giving up this last week than I have done for some time. One reason is I have not been well. The day I wrote to you last week I was taken sick suddenly, vomiting with high fever, produced by severe cold I thought. Dr. Allen came to see me three or four days and at last got his medicine to act. It has left me very weak, but I am improving I acknowledge I am low spirited. I don’t think you will wonder at that. But I will do the best I can for the sake of our boy. Sweet child he is a little thing now he is one pound lighter than when I weighed him at Asheville nine weeks ago. Sometimes I think this home [house?] does not suit him and me. But I will stop such low talk and tell you something that is more pleasant. Your wheat looks splendid I think you will make lots of it. The clover below our house looks fine and green. They got done sowing your oats yesterday. I think they will be too late to do much good. I suppose they will plant you some corn. Don’t you think they had better sell Duff [?] if you don’t get to come home soon. He would sell for a [$] 151 or 175 now and you know he will soon be getting to old to sell so well it would be stopping the interest on your debts. I think your Father might spare him now for old Julia’s [?] colt is dead. He will not have any young colts this spring but one. Your little colt has been nearly dead with distemper those two fillies are still here and I am sorry [sic, sorry] for it. Have you sent Father any money for them. I expect he needs it badly to get his crop made, though he never said so to me. Your Father says he will do the best he can to get some one in your place. He says for you not to offer for any Office but to keep your present place if you can. You will not be so much exposed and will have a better chance to get off. I don’t want you change your place if you can help it. Uncle Joseph thinks this war will not last much longer. That is all my hope now. I hope you will get a furlough any hour. This law does seem very hard but I reckon it is a Military necessity and we ought to submit as cheerfully as possible. Let me know right off what sort of clothes you will need me to send you this summer. I will try to make them for you. I want visit a bout next week, my health requires it. I think I will spend the month of June on Swanannoa for I am not much account to work any way. I feel like I would soon see you. I pray that I may. Be a good boy. Don’t get out of heart. There is a better day coming I hope when we will meet again. Your Wife and Boy [top of page 1, written upside down above the salutation and date] – Aunt Mira sends her love to you. She says the baby does her to look at instead of you. She is glad you don’t forget her Osborne Civil War letters Annotated versions prepared by George Frizzell