Post Civil War Letters - December 26, 1889 - Abbie Writes Home For Christmas
I have been very busy the last few days helping about the church tree. I helped to buy the presents and they were all brought here, and myself and another lady did all the marking and treeing up &ct...
I thought I was through sharing the letters from my family written during the American Civil War. If you've been following along as I posted them, I thank you for reading and hope you have enjoyed them.
Quite by coincidence I came across this letter today. It was written the day after Christmas, exactly 128 years ago, and 33 years after Abel returned from his service. It may be a little more prosaic than the earlier letters, but I couldn't resist sharing it. For one, it describes what seems to be a generous Christmas haul for the late 19th century. It also shows that Abbie has married and moved to Florida. She sounds in good health, and still as involved in her church as you would expect. It also sounds like she's become part of a family of readers and writers. Given her mother's facility with a pen, this is no surprise.
What is surprising (to me) is that Marcia, now widowed, has remarried and moved to New Hampshire. She would have been 73 when she received this letter. The house still stands today, and I've been able to share a picture of it at the end of the post, courtesy of Google Street View.
St. Augustine Fla.
Dec. 26th 1889
Dear Mother,
I wish you all the good wishes you can ask for for the coming New Year.
We send you a box of oranges for New Year, think you will get them that day.
We, or Ernest, sends Miss Haskell a box too, and they are both sent to your address, because the two would go cheaper if sent to one than two addresses. Miss H. is marked on the end of hers. Ernest picked, wrapped, and packed hers, so of course she must have them.
We are having such warm weather it don't seem like Xmas at all. Very dry indeed. We have not had a rainy day since I can remember.
We have had a very nice Xmas. Santa was quite liberal, for all he felt rather poor.
I had a pretty decorated toilet set for my front room. Also a pretty pin and hair pin of amber from Edward.
I gave Allie a pretty red shawl and card case. Her papa gave her a very handsome vase, and she had several other things from the children and her friends.
Ernest was well fixed out for writing: a handsome box with paper, a pretty ink bottle and stand, a paper holder [made of] nickel, a pen-knife and stencil (his name) combined, and Miss Haskell sent him a very handsome portfolio.
Grace had a plush box of of paper, two portfolios (one from Anna and one from Grandpa), a pin, a basket, pincushion, and box of stone building blocks. Karl had a span [?] of rocking horse with chair, Noah's ark cart, &ct.
Edward: Longfellow's poems I gave him, and the children all gave him little things.
Grandpa, a nice umbrella I have specified.
I don't know as you will care anything about reading it.
Now what did you have?
I want you should give Mrs. Butterfield 1 doz. oranges, Mrs. Bryant a doz., Mrs. Stowel 1/2 doz., and Mrs. Hardwell 1/2 doz., with my love. I hope they will go through all right. Of course they are for Anna too, joint Co.
Oh! yes, don't forget the little couple upstairs. Be sure and give him some with lots of love and good wishes.
I have been very busy the last few days helping about the church tree. I helped to buy the presents and they were all brought here, and myself and another lady did all the marking and treeing up &ct to put on the tree, filling candy, boze [bows?], boxes, &ct.
The tree is tonight.
I must not stop to write any more now so good by.
With lots of love to you all
from Abbie.
[Postscript added to first page:]
I send you Gracie's present for last year. She didn't get it finished, you know.
It was kind of nice to hear from the family again. :)
I know - and think of all the letters and correspondence that was lost over the years!
I was under the impression that Marcia's husband fought on the Union side of the war and now Abbie is in Fl which was a founding member of the Confederacy? The post-war problems must have died down some.
Yeah - 30 years later and I guess things were forgiven, more or less.
"more or less" Hahaha!
I wonder if 30 years will make a difference in the US/Iraq/Afghanistan perceptions.
I doubt it - in 30 years we'll probably still be over there doing whatever the hell it is we're doing.
I do wonder if Abbie kept quiet around her new neighbors about her father's Civil War service.
Good possibility on both.
I would feel a great amount of nostalgia reading this letter were it i that found it... Nice to know life was normal back in the years.
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