American Civil War Letters - June 26, 1864 - Drought, a Cow-Catcher Ride, and The Strain Starts to Show

I think [the Chaplain] did not look very patriotic riding off on the cow catcher. I should [have] thought his place would have been with the men, to encourage them, and comfort the wounded, and point the dying to the Lamb of God.

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"I'm out!" says the Chaplain. I couldn't resist sharing this historical stock photo of a cow-catcher ride. Source

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Towards the end of June, we get the first hints that all is not going well at the farm. Money is tight, the rains will not come, and the neighbor's cow slashes their heifer with his horns. Prices are rising, and they have to choose between a barrel of flour and paying someone to work the fields. They have a source of milk and butter, but hunger could become a real threat.

As usual, reading this letter provides a lesson in gratitude for being born when I was.

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Springfield June 26, 1864

My Dear Husband

I have been to church all day. Tonight is the Christian association. The subject was the christian commission. A letter was read, and some reports and remarks were made. A collection is to be taken up every month.

Mr Mann attended the meeting at Woodstock, and saw some of the delegates just home from the army, and Mr Alvord was there. He says their hearts are full. Mr Malcomb says that in Sherman's corps, 400 new converts partook of the Lord's supper before this campaign commenced.

And perhaps I can tell you some good news I heard today: that Mr Oliver had experienced religion. I have always thought him to be a nice man, and I hope he will do much good.

27 Monday

My dear husband

I have received yours commenced 19 today. I am sorry you are so unwell. You must do the best you can to get some nourishing food. Your money will not last long, and mine will have to go for a barrel of flour.

I hardly know which way to turn.

The want of rain is so great that the grass is all drying up. Mr Lovel told me he would try and do my haying after he got his done. I should think he would tell me if he can not do it before it spoils.

Bates told me he would try and do that piece up the brook, but that is not certain - though I think he will. It is next to impossible to get help.

It seems that your force is all away, and you are left to keep the house. Royce is gone. How thankful I am to him for caring for you. Give my love to him. I certainly shall remember him in my prayers. You say he wants a bible so that he can read the whole of it. May the Lord bless him in doing so. Is he serving? It seems that he is enquiring after the way.

I fear your chaplain does not stand in his lot and place very well. I think he did not look very patriotic riding off on the cow catcher. I should [have] thought his place would have been with the men, to encourage them, and comfort the wounded, and point the dying to the Lamb of God. If he is negligent, there is the greater need of your labor, and may it be blessed abundantly.

[Written in margin:] You say you sympathize with me. I know that, my dear husband, and I try to get along as well as I can, but I have trials (and should if you were here). Your letters are everything to me.

Tuesday

We are all well this morning. I wish I could tell you something which would be good for you. Mr Wilcox is there. It seems as though he might fix something for you to eat. I do not know as he would have any right to do it, but the surgeon could order different food, and you could draw [eat] it. And can not you buy rice at the commissary? It seems as that would be good for you, and you could get it cheaper there than of the suttler. [?]

Minute pudding is good for the bowels. Scalded flour is healing.

We eat toast for breakfast now that we have plenty of milk.

I do not know how much I get for my calf, but Mr Taylor said he would do as well as he could by me. He said: better than he would if I was a man. So, I trusted him.

You want to know how I like my cow. She is a pretty creature, and begins to find out what is wanted when I go to milk. She gives about 8 quarts a day.

I have churned once. It was very warm, so that I did not get the full benefit of the milk. The butter came in ten minutes - good solid butter. But a small lump, yesterday, and today it is cool, but no rain yet. It was cloudy, but has cleared off again.

Mr Cook's cow hooked the heifer in her side - made a long scratch through the skin - but will not injure her. The bag was swelled the first night, but I bathed it in cold water, and rubbed it about half an hour the next morning. It was better, and this morning it has gone down.

I am getting so that I can milk without being in quite so much misery, but my hands and arms have ached very hard, so I could hardly stand it.

Mr Bates has gone to the springs with his wife. She is to spend the summer there. In the mean time he is to repair his house and build a barn. He wants to set it round on our land some. I have not found out how much.

He is very kind. Our water stopped, and he fixed it. They did something at the water house, and knocked our pipe out of place. We did not have water for two days. We thought it quite a privation.

Mr Bark's folks are in trouble again. Milon is either killed or a prisoner. He is missing. They were out skirmishing when they had driven the enemy some distance. They were ordered to retreat. Henry Williams says he looked round and Milon had not turned his horses head. That was the last he has been seen.

Yesterday the report was that a part of the 11 and 4 reg. had been captured. It will make some of the folks feel pretty bad.

I do hope you will get some money soon. I can not go to the town and draw money, as Mrs Griswold does. She has drawn twice 60 dollars. Everything is rising. Flour is up, and calico: 30 to 35 cents per yard.

M S G

[Postscript added to top page:]

I have enough to get a barrel flour, but cannot pay for getting my hay too. If Bates and Mr Lovel do not do it, I shall have to get whoever I can to do it for me. I shall do the best I can and trust God for the rest.

Yours in love,

Marcia S Grennell

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This is a transcription of a letter that my great-great-great grandmother sent to her husband during his service in the American Civil War. It was written with minimal punctuation, so I have made regular edits for readability while keeping the content of the letter as close to the source as possible.

You can click on the original letters to see a high resolution scan for comparison.

I have dozens of letters from Marcia Spencer Grinnell to her husband Abel from this period, and will continue to share them as time and interest permit. The letters make for fascinating reading, and provide an intimate look into domestic life at the time of this conflict.

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CLICK HERE to read more letters from Marcia Spencer Grinnell and her family during the civil war.

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