Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ====================================================================== From Ira W. Bisbee to his father, Jonas Bisbee ====================================================================== Fernandina, Florida - September 18, 1862 DEAR FATHER, I seat myself down to answer your king letter dated Sept 9th which found me well and enjoying myself first rate, and to tell you some news. My box has at last come, all safe and pretty much sound. Everything came all safe and sound except one bottle of balsam which was broken and lost entirely. The rest of the medicine and other stuff came through all right. Just as you wrote to me, the cheese and cakes had pretty much lost their flavor, but was very good with exception of tasting a little strong of the lung balsam..The cheese was pretty dry, but it taste like cheese after all. The shirts, suspenders, dried apple, all came sound and right. The postage stamps I found in a little box that Esther sen me. There was six stamps in it, and five that you sent me in your last letter, making eleven stamps in all, so I think I am well provided for stamps at present, although I use a great many in the course of a month. Those suspenders that you sent me are the best suspenders that I ever saw. How much did the cost? The next time you write to me just tell me how much they cost a pair. I received a letter from Henry Buell today and one from Hebron. They all seem to be in good courage and think the war will close sometime or other. I see in you letter that it continues to be sickly around our way, and that your health has been for the last month very poor. I am very sorry to hear such news, for I am well aware that your are the mainstay at home. I am afraid that you overdo yourself, that you work altogether too hard [page 2] for your own health. I beseech of you not to overdo yourself with work, and not make yourself sick.. But I am aware and well aware that you have got a noble son with you, one that is faithful and that will do all the work that he is able to do, and I have great reason to be thankful that is is so. O how I wish I could shake him y the hand with a brotherly love, and give him some of my advice, although how poor it may be, but I suppose he is a good boy enough, and that my poor advice would not make him any better. I see that you are getting along nicely getting Soldiers out of our Town, and in old Maine also. The is very good news to me, yet I feel that some of the boys that have enlisted from our way will never see home again. Yet I hope and pray that they might and carry a good and manly principle with them, and giving cheers for the glorious victorious that they have help won. I am sorry to hear that Laforest has enlisted for I am afraid that he can't stand a Soldier's life and fare, although he has shown his good and manly principle in enlisting to help break this horrible rebellion that is in our nation. George Walker and F. Young, I should think that they will stand it far better the Laforest. The news came here today that Stonewall Jackson is in Maryland with 40 thousand men and has hoisted the Stars and Stripes and wants to become a loyal citizen to the American flag, but I do not believe that yet, but I think if he ain't out of Maryland in short order he will get himself in a rather of a hard place -- that is my opinion. I do not know but you stuck me this time [page 3] on filling this small sheet of paper full, but I shall write a spell longer before I give up. This is a some paper that you sent me in my box, and I have written over three hours on it and have just got it a little more than half wrote over, but I am still in good courage, and will still proceed. I suppose that you will want to know how my heath is and how I am getting along &c. I am happy to tell you that I am tough as a boiled owl and that I am getting along first rate. I was on guard last night and feel some [sick] today, but that is nothing uncommon for me as you probably was well aware of long before I came into this show. We all felt bad when we heard the sad news that Charley Ryerson got shot in battle. We all seem to feel very bad about it. Gustavus takes his death very hard indeed. He mourns a great deal of the death of his brother, but I had rather hear of him being shot in the army than to hear that he had deserted from the army as three of our men did from our Com. I wrote to you in my last letter before this about two Companies going over on main land and having a skirmish with some rebel guerrillas, and that one of our men got very badly wounded. It proved to be his deadly shot, he died a glorious death. One Com "I" man met with mishap last night. He was on Guard, and it rained hard and it was very dark. It seemed that he was going to his quarters upon a double quick step, and he met one of the company with gun, carrying it at the secure arms, and it was so dark that he could not see him. He run against him, stabbing [page 4] the bayonet in his leg above the knee, and it came out below his knee from smashing his knee from all to pieces. It is rather a serious wound, but the doctor thanks that he can save it so that he will not have it taken off, but it will always be a stiff leg. He seems to be a very smart, enterprising young man, and it seem rather of a hard blow to him, as he has always been a tough, rugged, man. I thank you an Mother, Esther, and all the family for sending me my box, and well filled, and if I live I will endeavor to return the kindness sometime or other. It was a splendid box of things, everything just as I wanted them, and I am perfectly well satisfied with them. I see that Orin Swan wrote home quite a letter about the Republicans and that we lived very poor &c. I for one do not know why should think so, as for our grub we fare fist-rate for soldiers, and I have no reason to find fault with it, but there is always somebody that must keeping writing home some lie on purpose of keeping up a storm, and you must not believe everything your hear from here. If you do you will have your hands full all the time. But alas I am drawing to the last end of my paper, and must begin to draw to a close for a season. the next time you write, you must keep writing good long letters--write all the news as you always do, and I will find no fault. You must remember that this is one of the sheets of paper that you sent me in my box, but I will now close for a season as it is getting late. Good bye, From your Son Ira W. Bisbee. ======================================================================