The following letter was written by Sgt. Isaiah Cushman (1825-1917) of Co. F, 9th Maine Infantry. He enlisted on 21 September 1861 and mustered out of the service on 27 August 1863.
Isaiah was the son of Levi Cushman (1778-1868) and Betsy Thompson (1787-1851). He was married to Barbara B. Erskine (1837-1922) in 1863 and resided in Abington, Plymouth county, Maine. Isaiah worked in the shoe manufacturing industry in Abington. During the Civil War, Abington was a major boot production center. More than half of the boots issued to Union soldiers during the war were made in Abington.
Letter 1
Hilton Head
Port Royal Entrance, S. C.
December 2, 1861
Dear Brother,
I received your letter this morning and hasten to write you. What shall I write you—I hardly know what. Mary is dead. Can it be? Shall we not behold that smiling face again on Earth? I can feel to weep with you that weep and to sympathize with you in the loss of a dear friend. What would you do now in your affliction if you did not believe she was with the Savior?
One of our number is taken from the Church of Christ. What is our duty now as professors of the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Oh! if I could live faithful and always be found at my post of duty. You have met with a great loss, but you do not mourn as those that lose friends that have no hope. You feel as though in a few short years at the most you will meet her in that world of bliss and glory.
You write let us be waiting to follow. Yes, that is it, dear brother. Live so as to meet our friends in Heaven. Oh what a happy thought. And I feel the need of the presence of my Savior here away from my earthly friends. But I believe that I hold communion with my God. We have some prayer meetings in our tents. We have no chaplain. It is a disgrace to the Pine Tree State. But we can meet our Savior at all times and in all places. The poor as well as the rich can partake of the waters of life freely.
My dear brother, I wish I could write you a good letter but I cannot. I could not if I had a good opportunity. We have to be called so often that I am confused so you will excuse me. Tell Charles W. that I will attempt to answer his kind letter in a few days. Give my love to your Mother Roberts and all of my friends in Abington. I wrote you in my last about some things. You will not feel like getting them now although I should like to have them. But I can do without them. Write often and I will try and do the same.
From your affectionate brother, — Isaiah Cushman
Letter 2
Fernandina, Florida
May 25th 1862
Dear Brother,
It is Sunday and I am Sergeant of Police whose duty it is to see that the company quarters are kept clean and I have a few moments to write, but have no news of interest to write you, yet will let you know that I am well and enjoying the blessing of life and hope that I enjoy the presence of my Dear Savior who has died to cleanse me from all sin and pollution. We have much to lead us from the paths of righteousness & peace, but hope that I have not lost all of love that was shed abroad in my heart in that Glorious Revival of Abington when so many young men and when were brought into the folk of Christ. I think of that place oftener than I do my natural birth. The place seems sacred to me. Then there is Charley and Howland, Lucia, Mr. Holt, Mr. Soul, and others that are faithful in their new Master’s service. Willard Brown that is in the service battling for our liberties and G. M. Sewall who has gone to his reward with the Savior in that Glorious place where there is no war nor commotion but all is peace and love.
My courage is good. Have never been homesick enough to deprive me of my happiness. My trust is i nGod who rules in wisdom. He will tread down our enemies. Think that the fighting is about over. We hear that McClellan has taken Richmond & Halleck Corinth, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Harrisburg. Gen. Hancock at Williamsburg (who by the way is a Massachusetts man) charged on the rebels in fine style and they fled before the northern bayonets. I wonder if they think now that one rebel can lick five Yankees. They may as the contralions [?] have it, that it takes 4 Yankees to catch one Rebel and then the fifth one whips him. Our Navy has accomplished noble deeds of valor in going past the forts and taking New Orleans, and at Island No. 10. Never did men run such risk in battle. Since Commodore Dupont took Hilton, the Rebels think that our gunboats can go anywhere. Think that they will dream of gunboats if he they are fifty miles from any water.
Things remain here about as usual. We are comfortable in our new quarters. Our company is in the [ ]. Stay with a piazza in front. We are not troubled with mosquitoes here but to go on picket guard down in the woods, we cannot sleep any. They have a log house built there. Last Sunday night I stopped there and I could hear the mosquitoes buzz as plain as you could a swarm of bees. There were thousands of them and a plenty of snakes. It will not do to tell the women much about them. The Boys killed one Blake [?] one and a coach whip as they are called. He was 6 feet long. The rattlesnakes are thick. Our captain was Officer of the Day a few days since and as he was going down the railroad to visit the pickets, he heard one rattle and looked down by his side and there was one within 8 inches of his leg and all curled up read to strike. The captain jumped across the track and then got a club and killed him. He was between three and four feet long. It was a small one, but large enough to have struck the captain above the hip. He got off lucky. Sgt. Bonney saw one about 8 feet long. It was a coach whip and very large for us Northern people to see running about.
It is reported that the ironclad steamer Monitor and five or six other ironclad boats and wooden gunboats, about 40 in all, are at Hilton Head bound, all think, for Charleston to raise the Stars & Stripes over Fort Sumter. The will do it if they undertake it. We shall expect to hear in ten days that Charleston is in the Union. Rebellion is about played out we think.
I have sent you $20 at a time in two letters. Wish you would write whether you have received it, and if you please, pay my dies at the Good Templars and also my part of the expenses for I have a good interest in that Order. Should have made arrangements to have my bills paid but forgot it in mu anxiety to put down rebellion. I received a letter from Barbone that last mail and also one the mail before the last. She writes that her health was poor and that she gets almost discouraged at times. She thinks it is living so near the salt water. I received a very good letter from Esq, Wormell the last mail. Porborie sent me the Abington Standard which contained the letter from the Orderly Sergeant of Co, E, 23rd Mass. Regt., at New Orleans to John’s widow and also the resolution passed by the company in regard to the death of brother Sewall. Am happy to get the Standard. Have not received a paper for some time from anyone. Think that Benjamin Brown has sent me some that I have never got. You must write to e often. Keep up good courage and trust in God who will. never leave nor forsake you. Pray for me. Direct to Hilton Head, Co. F, 9th Maine Regt., Hunter’s Division, S. C. Affectionately yours, — Isaiah Cushman
Letter 3
Fernandina, Florida
August 18th 1862
Dear Brother,
I received your kind letter of the date of the 10th yesterday and was very glad to hear that you was well. I thank you for those flowers. It reminds me of Dear Mary who we trust has gone to rest. I think of her often. I also think often of Mother and other dear friends that have gone to that bright and happy place. What a blessed thing it is to have a hope in Jesus who has died to redeem us from all of our sins. God made a great sacrifice in the gift of His son, the greatest that He could make, And as you write, we have got to make sacrifices if we will have freedom.
You get your quota of them in Abington very easy. The town pays them well for it. Some have enlisted that I did not think would go to the war, but there is some patriotic blood coursing through the veins when the men of the Old Bay State get fairly aroused. They will all nobly. Some I see by the Standard—which I thank you for—have got married before going to the war. They will leave behind them their young wives to weep as they depart for the war. Many will be slain upon the battlefield, others will die by disease, many will mourn the loss of dear friends during this bloody war, but the future generations will rise up and call us good men for preserving liberty for them and their posterity. God speed the right. If slavery gets its death blow this time, I shall be satisfied. But our government moves slow in regard to that great sin. Halleck is in command. He may not do any better than McClellan. He can hardly do worse, but we may honestly differ about these things.
Benjamin Brown in his letter wrote that Willard Beason had been shot on picket duty, but as I have heard nothing about it since, am in hopes it is not so. There is more of our number sick in hospital now than in the spring and Albert is taking care of him. He is at a private house. He cannot stand the climate [and] will go home soon if able to do so. We buried our Orderly Sergeant M. W. Emery the 5th of this month. Sergt. Bonney is sick in the hospital but is better. Think he will join the company in a few days. My health is good & I praise the Lord for it so that I may help put down this rebellion. I have great reason to love & serve the Lord for what he has done for me. While I was going on in sin, He called me as I hope & trust into His Kingdom.
You write you think you shall send me that box soon. Write to me what the things cost so that I may pay you for them & pay you for your trouble. The boxes have all to be opened at Hilton Head so as to see that the soldiers are not speculating so you see that you could not send me any boots if we were to stay here which is doubtful. Give my love to all. Write often. Pray for me. God be with you and bless you in all your efforts in saving a fallen [ ]. Goodbye, Yours as ever, — Isaiah Cushman
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