The following letter was written by Loving Lieblong, the wife of stone mason William N. Lieblong (1820-1898). Unfortunately I could not identify her further. She gives her mailing address in June 1862 as Freeport, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, but she was not enumerated in the 1860 US Census record for that borough.

Loving’s husband was a 40 year-old German emigrant when he enlisted at Camp Wright near Pittsburgh on 8 June 1861 in the 11th Pennsylvania Reserves (40th Pennsylvania Infantry), Co. G, or “the Apollo Independent Blues.” Regimental records inform us he was carried on the muster rolls until 6 May 1863 when he was discharged for disability, having served 1 year and 11 months. The 1890 Veterans Schedule claims that he was “wounded in hand arm”—possibly at the Battle of Fredericksburg—and the Pension files indicate that he filed for an “invalid” pension on 15 May 1863. His disabling injury apparently was not so severe, however, that it prevented him from resuming his stonemason trade following the war. He worked in Pittsburgh until 1890 when he moved to Chicago. My hunch is that Loving died sometime prior to 1870 and that William remarried.

Loving’s heartfelt letter exudes desperation and sincerity as she implores President Lincoln to ensure her husband receives the wages owed to him, as if totally unaware of the weight of his responsibilities.

Transcription

Freeport [Pennsylvania]
Monday, June the 16, 1862

Mr. President,

I take this present opportunity to let you know that my husband has been sick in the General Hospital, Washington Street, Alexandria, and when the pay master come around he was sick and didn’t get his pay and then they paid the sick he was back at his regiment and did not get his pay and now as it is 5 long months since I have been living on 5 dollars a month that I got from the Relief Committee. And now they have taken the relief all off and I have got 5 small children and you cannot think that I can work to maintain us then.

My husband belongs to the 11th Regiment, Company G, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, Army of the Potomac under General George B. McClellan, McCall’s Division, and if you don’t believe my statement, you are welcome to write to his Captain and if you would please and be so kind as to send us two or three months of his pay now, it would relieve me a great deal of anxiety how for to get along with my family. My husband thought his family would be cared for when he left home and I think it very hard for to hear my children cry with hunger and have no bread to give them. My husband’s name is William N. Lieblong.

Please answer this letter. Direct your answer [to] Mrs. Loving Lieblong, Freeport, Armstrong county, Penn.

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[Docketed on back of letter]

Referred to Major Ball to report if any pay is due this man to 30th April & return this paper. By order J. Ledyard Hodge, Asst. Paymaster

Wm N. Lieblong, Co. G, 11th Regt. Pa. Res. Vol. is returned to “Company Roll” in hospital. He was last paid December 31, 1861. This is four months pay due him to 30 April 1862 as appears by the roll. — Gideon J. Ball. Asst. Paymaster