Without investing more time, I’m unable to attribute this letter to any specific family. The author was “Sam” and his wife was “Julia.” He wrote the letter from Reading—probably Massachusetts—and his mother lived far away—possibly in or near Rockford, Illinois. We know that Sam raised sheep and sold his wool to market. We also know that Sam did not share the Antislavery views of his Governor nor of the Lincoln Administration. There are other names mentioned in his letter that may be clues to the identity of his siblings.

The letter provides us with a viewpoint that was not particularly unusual among the northern population during the American Civil War. Clearly Sam would have voted for the Democratic Ticket advocating for peace on any terms—the Constitution as it was; the Union as it was. In other words, in 1864 he probably voted for George McClellan. Many began to believe that Lincoln was unequal to the task at hand. Sam most likely would have been a conscientious objector based on his religious beliefs though this did not exempt him from federal draft laws and he would have been compelled to pay for a substitute or face imprisonment.

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

Reading [Middlesex county, Massachusetts?]
March 1st 1863

Dear Mother,

How do you do? How goes the times this curious winter? We have had an open winter here without any sleighing—not one good day of sleighing yet & March is stealing upon us. We are well and trying to enjoy ourselves the best we can in this ungodly war. I call it so because the devil rules the whole thing & there is no prospect of peace as I see while Old Abe Lincoln is at the helm.

Peace is better than war anytime & in every place better in a family—better in a neighborhood. I had rather be called a coward than to fight & then be disapproved of God. If you can find any command of the Savior to fight, just write to me, the place, and do it quick. Peace is better under any circumstance whatever. Maybe you think me a Quaker & so I am in this respect. I think we are not converting the world very fast just now. We have always had peace & plenty under the old democracy & would to God we had it now.

Talk about honor—not one word of it. All they are trying to do is to build up the Abolition party & make money, and unless we stop soon we shall surely wreck on a rocky shore in a strange land. I do not know when I may be called. We hear that a law is passed to take just who they please. But most of the folks here think there will be some serious times about then. Yet we have some hope of peace.

We have picked up a few little notions to send you & you will find them at the Express Office in Rockford. Charges are all paid & you please to send us a letter with all the good news from your own family & all the rest that will entertain Sam & wife. My taxes this year were bout $13. We will have taxes enough to pay aside from three times as much to pay on all we buy. But such are the results of war.

Ellen, write won’t you? Mary C. & Henry owe us a letter & we want it too right away. I have not heard from Horatio & Edmunds in some time. If you have, please give me the news. Times are perhaps as they are with you. I am wintering about 100 sheep and hope to get a good price for wool & yet if the war would stop, I would willingly give it away. One of our neighbors was drafted & had to give $190 to get a man in his place. If a man does not want to make sure work of dying in 9 months, then he don’t want to go to war.

We have got an abolition Governor & that’s mean. I will send you a paper now and then if you would like it. I would have been glad to sent you some green apples but they would have froze. I will try and send you some in the fall if we all live so long. Express charges are high & it is not always sure to send by railroad companies. I should be glad to let you have a good many things if you lived anywhere near. Take things on th bright side & may all try to live so as to meet in the better land. Respects to all. So now good night. — Sam & Julia