Sunday, November 11, 2012

1862 November 11 Yorktown Va

Yorktown Va Nov 11 1862
                                  My Dear Sister
                                                       Feelling very
sad I take my pen to write you a few lines your
letter of the second reached me last night hearing of
              Brothers Death
Our beloved  ^ has quite undone me last night was a sleepless
night for me it came so unexpected that I could not have
it so Becca if ever one Brother loved another I loved him
you know he was always the stronger of the two and consequently
                     companion
was my constant  ^ from my infantile moments untill I became
Strong in manhood he was ever a good and kind Brother
to me and my love for him was great Dearly loved sister
it has been my lot for the past six months to witness
Death in a thousand different forms on the Battlefield
as well as in the Camp and to the Scene I have become
accustomed it is there I have seen the Father mourning the loss
of A Darling Son and the Brother weeping for the loss of his mate

[page 2]
and it Serves to convince me more fully that it is but
a step from time to eternity and one that we all must
take sooner or later and Dear Sister let us try and be
prepared for this important step that wee may be
enable to become better reconciled to Gods [mercy & ?]  providence.
Tell my Father for me to go to the Book of Books and
there on he will find words of comfort to Sustain
him in this his hour of affliction although myself
A wanderer from the field of Christ I know there
is peace in believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Becc I
wish I was with you for I know it would be A Great
Comfort to you all and wee could mourn together
for the loss of one who was so Dearly loved by us
all it becomes us all to weep for him it seems
as if wee was dubly afflicted A little more than
a year ago and Our Sainted mother was laid in
the silent Grave and now the Chain which bound our
little circle together is again Severed and wee mourn
the loss of another loved One who I hope and trust has
gone to a holier and happier land this recalls to memory
the last words spoken by my Dearly loved mother to me
her dying Counsel She said to me William put your trust
in the Lord he will sustain you in your every affliction

[page 3]
Words I regard as precious for they were left me
by my mother and in my leisure moments I
have to meditate upon Becca Comfort Father and
the Children as well as you can tell them their
Brother feels for them and would like to be with
them in their troubles but it is impossible you
Spoke about my getting a furlough it is impossible
Becca while I have been in the Service of my
Country I have tryed to act the man and
preserved the name given me by those I Love
as Dearly as I do my own life untarnished
I will never play Sick nor act the Coward for my
discharge no not I the thing is done every day
                                                     Death
most & if I am called to die I will meet ^ as
becomes a man and A Soldier be shure and
write me the particulars conserning Stephens Sickness
and Death I am anxious to hear I received the Box
Nov the eighth the Shirts and gloves fit nicely
thanks to my Aunts and Cousins for the
the[sic] things they sent me I got A letter from
you Dated Oct 31 and One from Maria in
the box write Soon all of you--we have not been
paid of yet the talk is now that Pecks Division

[page 4]
is going up the peninsula again
my health is first rate--from you loving
                         Brother Wm H. Girrell

     P S
     excuse all mistakes
     thank the Children for
     me for those beechnuts
     which were very nice
     Maria said Mrs Marshall
     wanted to know what the
     matter was with [Levi?]  the
     Doctor said it was Consumption
     Seth is sick the same way
     and has got his discharge
     he went this morning
     your preserves was very nice in[?]
                    my Love to Father
                    and the Children

Sergeant William H. Girrell
11th Maine Infantry
MSS 1618


   






















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