Emma Louise (Ronaldson) Eldridge (1833-1879) to her husband, Erwin James Eldridge (1833-1902) just days after the Battle of First Manassas. She was the daughter Archibald Ronaldson (1808-1865)—a Scottish-born coal mine engineer—and Ellen Jemima Ogilvie of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Erwin was born in Cecil county, Maryland, on February 3, 1833. After earning his medical degree in 1856 from Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia, he traveled to Vienna, Austria. During his time overseas he served as a surgeon in the Crimean War. When he returned to the United States, he lived in Maryland for a time before relocating to Americus, Sumter county, Georgia. When the civil war began, he enlisted as a sergeant in Co. A, 11th Battalion, Georgia Artillery (a.k.a. the “Sumter Flying Light Artillery”). In July 1861, however, he was appointed an Assistant Surgeon in the 16th Georgia Infantry. By early 1864, he was promoted to Chief Surgeon of Gen. Cobb’s Division. By 1870, Dr. Eldridge was living in Americus, Sumter County, Georgia. He would go on to work as a physician and druggist in Lee and Sumter Counties, Georgia. On March 13, 1902, Dr. Eldridge died and is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery, Americus, Sumter County, Georgia.

See also—1863: Erwin James Eldridge to Emma Louisa Ronaldson on Spared & Shared 17.

See also—1863: Emma Louise (Ronaldson) Eldridge to Erwin James Eldridge on Spared & Shared 16.

See also, in the Digital Library of Georgia, Dr. Erwin J. Eldridge letters, 1860-1865. “The collection consists of three letters from Dr. Eldridge while in service in the Confederate Army. He writes to his wife, Emma of items that he picked up on the Manassas battlefield that he wished to send home to his son, also of long marches and Confederate officers from his experience. Also in this collection are seven much longer letters from Emma to Dr. Eldridge through the care of Howell Cobb’s famous Georgia regiment. In them she describes news of their home from Americus, Georgia, including war news, family matters and a detailed description of a tornado that ripped through town sending slaves and livestock flying through the air. The remaining letters are from family and friends displaying concern for Dr. Eldridge and other family members in the service of the Confederacy.”

T R A N S C R I P T I ON

Americus, Sumter county, Ga.
July 24th 1861

My own darling Erve,

After anxiously waiting for a week, I at last received your dear, kind letter by Mr. Davidson. The other one you spoke of has never reached me & I am sorry, very sorry, that you did not tell me in the one of today what you were in need of and want me to send. It may have been delayed and reach me tomorrow. In case it does not, please write me again what you want. I could not understand Mr. Daniels about the bundle & the only thing I could think of were your credentials from the college in Philadelphia. I thought perhaps you had some idea of getting an appointment as surgeon & sent them on by Captain Sirrin [?] yesterday.

We have received terrible accounts of the Battle at Manassas, with great loss on both sides. How terrible it was, & to think of so many of our brave men killed, it seems to have cast a gloom over everyone here. No one has a word to say excepting to comment upon the daily news, & the possibility of what may be the fate of our own loved ones. It is dreadful to think of. Sometimes I think I can’t stand it any longer. Your absence, dear Erve, is hard—very hard to bear, and when I know you are constantly surrounded by dangers, and I may never see you again, is it any wonder I have few but sad lonely thoughts.

This is not the way to write to you, my darling, I now it. but I cannot help it sometimes. You are all that I have & if anything were to happen to you, I have nothing, really nothing in the world to live or care for. But I’ll stop this and write more cheerfully.

It is almost dark & I can hardly see what or where I am writing. I had a letter from Mr. Stokes today. In it he wrote a list of the notes & to each wrote what the prospect was. Some are good, some slow if good, & some he thinks are worthless. He says he will do the best with them he can but there is little possibility of many of them paying before winter.

I am very glad you have your bed & are fixed more comfortably. I know you don’t relish eating off of your lap, but I suppose it can’t be helped. Mrs. Crawford & myself spent the day at Mrs. Hancocks in company with Mrs. Myrick & Mrs. Robinson. Mrs. Myrick said she was so disappointed inn not seeing you, as she had a great curiosity to do so. In order to gratify it, I sent home for your Ambrotype. I am so proud to show you off, Erve, even if you are not here & people look at you so admiringly. I know they wish they were in my place. Mrs. Robinson was commiserating the soldiers who have come home & found their wives sick after being absent so long—Captain Johnson for instance. His wife has just had a baby. She said she thought some of the ladies should hold a meeting & appoint a committee to go and console with him & console him in the best manner possible. Erve, did you think that Mrs. Richardson—so quiet and good—had so much badness in her?

Erve, you don’t know how glad I am that I am not going to have a little one before your return. When I wrote you first I was very glad, because there was a possibility of it. Now I am very glad it is to the contrary. After you come home, I hope to do better. Mrs. Robinson is going to stay all night with us. I expect she is very lonely at home, everyone having left there but herself. She is more cheerful than I ever expected to see.

I have been busy all this week making shirts for the society. There is little or no work there now. Mrs. Greene is still in Lee. No one here has heard anything of her since she left. I reckon she will be up here in a few days to stay with us awhile. Yesterday Mrs. Crawford & I went to hear Mr. Clark’s funeral sermon preached. It was very sad.

We had a letter from home last week. They are very anxious about us not having heard since the 20th of April. They would like to have us home with them thinking we are in great danger here. Arch is quite well, weighs 200 pounds.

I have slept in our bed only once since you left & i the night rolled over to Inez & hugged her up, thinking it was my own blessed husband. Maybe when you do come home, you’ll wish you were back to your single bed in the camp with no one to trouble you. I wish I could see you. It seems months since you left me. I used to think I missed you as much as I possibly could when you were down here before we were married. But oh! Erve, it is a thousand, thousand times worse. When you return, I hope I shall never be separated from you again until I die. Many persons have said since you left, that I take your absence very well indeed. They can’t tell my thoughts, Erve, and don’t know the desolate blank in my heart caused by your absence. God grant you may be safe at home by Christmas. Even that seems like years to look forward to.

I hope Erve that I will receive your letter tomorrow. The mails are so irregular. It may have been delayed somewhere on the road. Some of our letters come in four days. My first one took seven. If I should get it tomorrow, I will get the things immediately and send on by the first opportunity.

I am very glad indeed that the company attend religious services. It is so important. God bless them in endeavoring to do right. Not only bless them in this life but in that which is to come. Mrs. Crawford sends much love to you & says she will write you soon. Inez also. I have not heard a word from Mrs. Bryan although I wrote her some two weeks since. Major B. is still in Lee.

My pen is so miserable I can scarcely write. I must not mind looks though—especially now, so my own darling excuse both the composition and writing. I will supply myself with a new pen next time & hope my brain will be more active. Mrs. Robinson, Inez, Mollie, and Lou all send a great deal of love to you. Do write very soon. Every line from you is a comfort and blessing to me. God bless & keep you my darling and bring you home safe to your own true & loving wife, — Em

Mrs. Hancock says, “Put a heap of love in there for Dr. & tell him to behave himself.” Mr. Cook gave here a small Ambrotype of you. I am glad he did. She prizes it very highly.