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Kezia Stradley Osborne to Roland C. Osborne, March 9, 1862

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Item
  • In this letter of March 9, 1862 sent to her husband Roland C. Osborne, Kezia Stradley Osborne reports concerns about the health of her son, other family members and fears about the war situation.
  • March 9, 1862 Beaverdam March 9th 1862 My Dear Husband Writing must be done I suppose, whether I have any thing interesting to communicate or not. I tell you at the start that my stock of information is very low this morning. I have not had a chance to send to the Office for a week past and so I have had not letters or papers and am entirely behind the news. I was sick yesterday but am about well today. My milk has made Rufus fretful and cross. He has not cut a tooth yet. I think he would feel better if his teeth were through. I tried to carry him out this morning and went as far as the stables. I guess I was glad to get back. I was so tired. You must hurry and come home to carry him out. He is so heavy and he is never satisfied when he is awake with out he is out of doors. I think it very health for him. I think you will agree when you see him that he has been well taken care of. That is if nothing happens to him. Last Friday was the coldest day we have had this season. We could hardly keep warm in the house. I thought of the poor soldiers in Tenn. and Virginia. They must have suffered a great deal I expect you found it very pleasant where you are. How do think you would like to live all the time in a warm climate. I have thought you would be likely to have better health if you could get good water. I don’t think I could live in a warm country for I can hardly stand the spring season here. You know we need to talk about going to Florida to live I hope you will get entire [entirely] rid of your cough this winter if you do your time will not be entirely wasted as it regards improvement I read a letter from Jo [?] yesterday. He says they had a hard time getting to the Cumberland Gap. Had to lay out at night with out their baggage and now they have had to go into cabins with another Regiment. He thinks the gap is so strongly fortified that the Yankees and Tories will never be fools enough to attack them there. He says they have 20 pieces of Artillery placed so that they command the road for 4 miles in the direction the enemy would have to come to attack them they have about 5,000 men in the gap. He says the Yankees will hear loud thunder before they get through there. I do wish the Rascals could be driven of [off] four soil and we could have peace one more. I can’t help being afraid that you will enlist for the war. I know that many will serve their country as long as it needs them and I honor their Patriotism , but I don’t feel like I could spare you any longer than the 12 months you have enlisted for. A great many think you will go in for the war. I have not much hope of your getting off before your full time is out. It seems to me that you have been gone more than 12 months already. I want to talk to you instead of writing so I could hear you laugh. Don’t you remember what a big laugh we had the last day you was here about the words you spelled wrong when you was writing. I have thought of that many a time and of other things we used to talk about. I think I would know your voice if I were to hear among your whole Regiment I thought of you while I was reading my Bible this morning And I wondered if you was not doing the same thing. I know you cannot be as quiet as I am yet I think your Bible must be a great deal of company for you and you could not have better company. Oh that we could read it together and kneel in prayer as we used to do. But thank God we can still pray for each other and for Rufus. God bless and [?] sweet kiss [?] Monday morning. I received two letters from you last night and one from Sallie. She says she wishes you had sent Leander to their house so that they could have had him buried at their church and taken care of his grave. Thomas started to see him as soon as he got your letter but was too late he was buried. Sallie wants me to go and stay with her this spring. I am afraid my health would not be good there long but I would like to go and see here very [well]. Now I must try If I can answer all your questions. You ask what Rufus can do. It would be hard to tell all. He plays with the cats and dog. Clingman comes to his cradle and lets him pull his ears and stick his fingers up his nose and do any thing he pleases with him. They are great friends. I intended to have had his likeness taken today but it is raining. I have been trying for a long time. His hair is about half an inch long. I believe it will be red or very near it. If he could get hold of your hair or whiskers, you would find out what he could do. I have given him the note you sent by Cathey to play with while I am writing. I have preserved all your letters but that bad one. The girls would not be apt to give you a more impartial [?] account of his martress [sic ?] than I do for I believe they think as much of him as I do. He is a general favorite with Grandpa and Grandma and all the family. We are spoiling him badly. I am glad your Father has written you such a good letter. Perhaps I have said too much you know it is my failing. I expected you would scold me but I only told you the truth about the buggy I don’t know when I will go to Haywood. When you come back I reckon. I have not heard any thing about your over coat. I wrote to [C K/R] Mingus last week to see if the balance of the money due Joshua had or could be collected. I advanced the money for Joshua at Addie’s request and I am afraid I will have to lose it or go back on Joshua for it. It was $8 that I lent him and I paid him $8 that you used of his and 10 for your subscriptions. Father was needing money and I let him have 10 he will give you credit for it. I have about 10 left after paying for your pants. That is as much as I need just now. I sold your shotgun to Gaines. He gave you credit for 20.00 on your account for it. I have not got any shoes yet. Can’t get them for less than three dollars a pair. Rufus will need a pair and a hat if he lives till warm weather. I am not needing any thing else now. I thank you Dear for your kindness and for your good kind letters. I will send your things to Cathey’s store if I possibly can. You know I have a poor chance. I would be for you to leave where you are if you could get a better place but I am affraid you will get into more danger. As your time is getting so near out they try to get their pay out of your Regiment. [T] W Roe has bought him a negro man for 800.00 may be your could get me a right nice woman while they are cheap but the best plan would be to get out of debt first I guess. They can be hired here now very cheap. You ask if you make as many mistakes as used to do. You spell some words wrong yet that look sorter [sic] funny. But you know I have no room to talk The old folks have forgot all about coffee. We all like Rye better. That is us young folks. I would care [?] if I never saw a grain of coffee again for my own use I believe. I have answered all your questions that I can think of now. I would like to see Cathey but don’t know how to do it. You see I must quit write to me very often and pray for your loved Wife and little boy Osborne Civil War letters Annotated versions prepared by George Frizzell
Object
  • In this letter of March 9, 1862 sent to her husband Roland C. Osborne, Kezia Stradley Osborne reports concerns about the health of her son, other family members and fears about the war situation.
  • March 9, 1862 Beaverdam March 9th 1862 My Dear Husband Writing must be done I suppose, whether I have any thing interesting to communicate or not. I tell you at the start that my stock of information is very low this morning. I have not had a chance to send to the Office for a week past and so I have had not letters or papers and am entirely behind the news. I was sick yesterday but am about well today. My milk has made Rufus fretful and cross. He has not cut a tooth yet. I think he would feel better if his teeth were through. I tried to carry him out this morning and went as far as the stables. I guess I was glad to get back. I was so tired. You must hurry and come home to carry him out. He is so heavy and he is never satisfied when he is awake with out he is out of doors. I think it very health for him. I think you will agree when you see him that he has been well taken care of. That is if nothing happens to him. Last Friday was the coldest day we have had this season. We could hardly keep warm in the house. I thought of the poor soldiers in Tenn. and Virginia. They must have suffered a great deal I expect you found it very pleasant where you are. How do think you would like to live all the time in a warm climate. I have thought you would be likely to have better health if you could get good water. I don’t think I could live in a warm country for I can hardly stand the spring season here. You know we need to talk about going to Florida to live I hope you will get entire [entirely] rid of your cough this winter if you do your time will not be entirely wasted as it regards improvement I read a letter from Jo [?] yesterday. He says they had a hard time getting to the Cumberland Gap. Had to lay out at night with out their baggage and now they have had to go into cabins with another Regiment. He thinks the gap is so strongly fortified that the Yankees and Tories will never be fools enough to attack them there. He says they have 20 pieces of Artillery placed so that they command the road for 4 miles in the direction the enemy would have to come to attack them they have about 5,000 men in the gap. He says the Yankees will hear loud thunder before they get through there. I do wish the Rascals could be driven of [off] four soil and we could have peace one more. I can’t help being afraid that you will enlist for the war. I know that many will serve their country as long as it needs them and I honor their Patriotism , but I don’t feel like I could spare you any longer than the 12 months you have enlisted for. A great many think you will go in for the war. I have not much hope of your getting off before your full time is out. It seems to me that you have been gone more than 12 months already. I want to talk to you instead of writing so I could hear you laugh. Don’t you remember what a big laugh we had the last day you was here about the words you spelled wrong when you was writing. I have thought of that many a time and of other things we used to talk about. I think I would know your voice if I were to hear among your whole Regiment I thought of you while I was reading my Bible this morning And I wondered if you was not doing the same thing. I know you cannot be as quiet as I am yet I think your Bible must be a great deal of company for you and you could not have better company. Oh that we could read it together and kneel in prayer as we used to do. But thank God we can still pray for each other and for Rufus. God bless and [?] sweet kiss [?] Monday morning. I received two letters from you last night and one from Sallie. She says she wishes you had sent Leander to their house so that they could have had him buried at their church and taken care of his grave. Thomas started to see him as soon as he got your letter but was too late he was buried. Sallie wants me to go and stay with her this spring. I am afraid my health would not be good there long but I would like to go and see here very [well]. Now I must try If I can answer all your questions. You ask what Rufus can do. It would be hard to tell all. He plays with the cats and dog. Clingman comes to his cradle and lets him pull his ears and stick his fingers up his nose and do any thing he pleases with him. They are great friends. I intended to have had his likeness taken today but it is raining. I have been trying for a long time. His hair is about half an inch long. I believe it will be red or very near it. If he could get hold of your hair or whiskers, you would find out what he could do. I have given him the note you sent by Cathey to play with while I am writing. I have preserved all your letters but that bad one. The girls would not be apt to give you a more impartial [?] account of his martress [sic ?] than I do for I believe they think as much of him as I do. He is a general favorite with Grandpa and Grandma and all the family. We are spoiling him badly. I am glad your Father has written you such a good letter. Perhaps I have said too much you know it is my failing. I expected you would scold me but I only told you the truth about the buggy I don’t know when I will go to Haywood. When you come back I reckon. I have not heard any thing about your over coat. I wrote to [C K/R] Mingus last week to see if the balance of the money due Joshua had or could be collected. I advanced the money for Joshua at Addie’s request and I am afraid I will have to lose it or go back on Joshua for it. It was $8 that I lent him and I paid him $8 that you used of his and 10 for your subscriptions. Father was needing money and I let him have 10 he will give you credit for it. I have about 10 left after paying for your pants. That is as much as I need just now. I sold your shotgun to Gaines. He gave you credit for 20.00 on your account for it. I have not got any shoes yet. Can’t get them for less than three dollars a pair. Rufus will need a pair and a hat if he lives till warm weather. I am not needing any thing else now. I thank you Dear for your kindness and for your good kind letters. I will send your things to Cathey’s store if I possibly can. You know I have a poor chance. I would be for you to leave where you are if you could get a better place but I am affraid you will get into more danger. As your time is getting so near out they try to get their pay out of your Regiment. [T] W Roe has bought him a negro man for 800.00 may be your could get me a right nice woman while they are cheap but the best plan would be to get out of debt first I guess. They can be hired here now very cheap. You ask if you make as many mistakes as used to do. You spell some words wrong yet that look sorter [sic] funny. But you know I have no room to talk The old folks have forgot all about coffee. We all like Rye better. That is us young folks. I would care [?] if I never saw a grain of coffee again for my own use I believe. I have answered all your questions that I can think of now. I would like to see Cathey but don’t know how to do it. You see I must quit write to me very often and pray for your loved Wife and little boy Osborne Civil War letters Annotated versions prepared by George Frizzell