Bio
[Note: These letters are from the collection of Michael Huston and were offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]
Letter 1
Washington, Iowa
November 4, 1860
My dear Ann, for by that name I must still call you. I have wrote to you but received no answer. Ann, please write me a few lines and let me know if cruelty has entered your mind or if someone has set you against me or whether you have so small opinion of me as to think I have slighted you or disregarded my promises which we made, be it far from that, however light you may regard them. Yet I myself am foolish enough to consider them as something more than trifles and am likewise induced to believe that the person who voluntarily breaks a promise will not regard an oath.
Ann, you as a follower of Christ must write me a few lines and let me know if I should find a welcome at your home. If I have wounded your feelings, I am ready to make restitution for it. The reason I have not wrote is through gross neglect, not through any less respect to you.
Ann, I have been true to you in every other respect. My dear Ann, forget the past and write me a few lines and let me know whether you are at home and set the time and I will come. Ann, I have a great deal more to say but not at present. I can tell it to you better when I see you if happily these lines are received.
Ann, be sure to write and let me know your mind. I am yours forever if you will. — J. Murkin
Letter 2
Washington, Iowa
November 24, 1860
Dear Ann,
I received your letter of the 17th last Monday and did not intend to write but to come myself last Saturday but I could not and now take my pen in hand to give you my reasons for not coming. I would have rather come and seen you than to have to write these lines. I told my boss that I did not want to work on Saturday but he told me I must work as he had a pair of boots promised on Saturday and I must make them. It would have been folly in the extreme of me to refuse as I have a good deal of work and can make from 7 to 9 dollars per week and this is a throng [?] time with us now but I intend to come as soon as I can and see you.
Ann, you must excuse me for I am a going to write just as if I was a talking face to face with you. Now Ann, I think you must have misunderstood the tenor of my letters which I wrote you to a great extent for I di not, nor cannot, nor do I blame you at all. I think I told you in the first I sent to you that I had not acted right as a gentleman ought to do towards one he pretends to love. Ann, I confess my fault to you in that.
Ann, you say you think as much of me as you ever did. I confess I think more of you since you wrote the last letter. It showed to me that you was capable of standing your own defense. But Ann, you must not draw from this that I did not thinnk you capable of that before—not at all. Ann, you say you have been sorry many times since you made that promise to me. You say you made it in an unguarded moment. Ann, forget the past and look forward, trusting in Him who has guided us thus far, trusting and believing that all things will work together for the good of us both.
Ann, I am of the same opinion as you that a bad promise is better broken than carried into execution, but I cannot see that ours is so very bad after all. If you think I am not capable of taking care of a partner in life, you have a perfect right to give your opinion on the subject. Ann, I hope you will not think hard of what I have said. Ann, the reason that I asked you whether I should be welcome at your house was from the fact I had wrote one letter and received no answer which made me think as you did not write, you would not want to see me there. And as for the treatment I had when at your house, if I had been your brother, I could not have been treated with more respect. Your father has always treated me the same whenever he met me on the street.
Ann, you seem to think we have not that affection for each other that we ought to have. It is true, we have not showed that respect and love to each other we ought to have done, but it is said that a long acquaintance makes a short repentance. Ann, it is very true I am poor and alone in this world, but I believe with a true reliance upon Him, He [who] has guided me thus far, will guide me to the very end. But I don’t think that I have any influence on your mind as to [ ] because I know you are capable of better judgment.
Ann, I do hope these few remarks I have made will not hurt your feelings. Ann, I shall surely come and see you soon as I can. Now Ann, I want you to comply with my request. Burn this [letter] if you please. I hope you will make out to read it. I have a very bad pen which you can readily see. I have considerable more to say but not at present as it is late. Ann, be sure and write a few lines as soon as you can as I am not sure what day I can come to see you. It will not do any harm to write to each other. Yours in love, — J. Murkin
Letter 3
Washington, Iowa
February 3, 1861
My dear Ann,
I take pleasure in writing a few lines to you hoping they may find you in the possession of good health as it leaves me at this time.
I told you, Ann, that I would write to you soon so I embrace the opportunity to make my promise good. I want you to be sure and have your likeness put in that locket the first opportunity you have so I can get it the first time I come and then I will have mine put in and give it back to you again.
My dear Ann, I want you to answer this soon and not be afraid to write. I guess your mother will not be against us corresponding to each other if she knew our intentions ar good. Maybe she thought—yes knew—that I had not acted toward you as a gentleman should towards one he pretend to love. I have no doubt in my own mind this was her reason for speaking to you as he did for I know no other reason. She has always treated me with the greatest respect when I have been at your house.
I will close for the present, Yours inn love, — James Murkin
[handwritten poem no transcribed]
Letter 4
April 7th 1861
I now take the opportunity to write you a few lines for your meditation as I promised you. I would write to you the first opportunity that offered itself to me. I had a very wet time going home. It commenced to rain just as I came on the prairie by Major Young’s house so I went to Tom Woods’ house and ate supper with them thinking it would astop raining but my hopes was all blighted for just after I started, it commenced to rain [even] faster. But I did not get wet as I had on a good overcoat.
Ann, I have got my likeness put in the locket but now the question is whether you will like it. I guess, Ann, I will send it to you by Franklin the first chance I have—not that I want to avoid coming myself and by any means because your company is preferable to me than all the world besides, and I will come myself again soon. But I want you to have your likeness taken over again in a darker dress. I will send you one dollar bill in Iowa money so you need not be afraid but it will be good as all other money is failing now.
Dear Ann, I want you to tend to it the first opportunity you have after you get your locket. I think you had better go to the car on the north side of the square as I believe he is the best artist and will give you the best likeness.
Now, my dear Ann, I will change the subject. Whether it will be agreeable to you for us to get married in the fall as early as we can is now a matter for your consideration as well as mine. I want to do all in my power to make you happy and that is my greatest object and shall be my aim in the future to promote your happiness and my only joy and heart’s delight. I will submit this to your judgment and consideration. Hoping to hear from you soon, to all of which I heartily subscribe myself yours through life, trusting you can say the same. From James Murkin to his Rose A. Showalter
Letter 5
Keokuk, Iowa
May 26, 1861
Dear Ann,
The first object of my thoughts and the pride of my heart to fulfill my promise. I now take the opportunity to present a few thoughts to you as they appear to me and the first is to inform you that I am well and hope I shall soon hear that you are all enjoying the same blessing.
Ann, you must excise me for not coming out to see you before I left. If I could pew to you my feelings, I know you would readily forgive me. I looked for you that day we started but found you not. I was glad I did not see you for it would have made me feel ten times worse. I never saw such a day in Washington as that day we started for Keokuk. Most everyone I saw was bathed in tears.
We arrived here all safe. There is 2,000 soldiers her now in Keokuk. It is the talk today that the 1st [Iowa] Regiment will leave for Cairo this week. We are living in town. We are not camped out yet. Ann, I cannot send you much news this time but hope I shall be able to write more next time. When you write to me again, I want you to send me your father’s given name. I want to write to him because I feel it my duty. He has treated me more like a father would a son. In fact, he has treated me better than I have deserved at his hands.
Ann, I shall have to close for the present as our supper is about ready and I must close for the present. Now my dear Ann, the object of my heart, I want you to be sure and write by return of mail. Give my respects to all and accept the same yourself. Ann, you must excuse my writing as I have neither k=ink nor pen. Good night.
Letter 6
Keokuk, Iowa
June 2nd 1861
Dear Ann,
I now take this opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and trust that these few lines will find you all enjoying the same blessing. Dear Ann, I think long to hear from you and I long to see you once more. I think if we are not moved from here by the 4th of July, some of us will come to Washington [Iowa] and spend the 4th. I will be sure to come if possible and stay a day or two.
We have merry times—some writing and some singing, some one thing and some another. We have prayer meetings three times per week in our quarters. I was out to meeting this morning and had a very good sermon preached. And this afternoon I am writing to you and tonight I have to stand watch while you will be at rest. I shall often think of you. The 2nd Regiment is sworn into the United States service for three years unless sooner discharged.
Dear Ann, you must not think hard of me because I went with the company. Ann, I could not bear the idea of being called a coward. May, I wold rather go for ten years because I think I am in a right cause. But my dear Ann, I think we will all be back home in six months and maybe sooner. But my hearts shall be with you wherever I go. Ann, I wish I was at your home today so we could have a chat together.
The boys have great times here. we go down to the river and make every steamboat hoist the stars and stripes. Today the boys went down to the river just as a boat came up and demanded the stripes and the captain refused to hoist his colors and they would not let him unload his boat. But he soon hoisted them. Our regiment all marched out in the street yesterday and made quite a grand appearance [of] 1,000 men.
Now Ann, I want you to be sure and let me know how you are enjoying yourself. So dear Ann, I must close by subscribing myself yours until death. — James Murkin
My address is James Murkin, Keokuk, Iowa, in care of Capt. H. R. Cowles, 2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteers
Letter 7
Keokuk, Iowa
June 13th 1861
Dear Ann,
I write a few lines in haste to let you know that we [are] called to start for Hannibal, Missouri. It is now 2 o’clock in the morning. The boys are all in good spirits. Dear Ann, you must excuse me for these few words. I have not time. we was called up out of bed and have to start right away. I will write to you as soon as I can. Yours till death. — James Murkin
Do not write till you hear from me again.
Letter 8
St. Joseph, Missouri
June 16, 1861
Dear Ann,
I now embrace this opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope you are enjoying the same blessing. Dear Ann, I wrote a few lines to you when I started from Keokuk to let you know that I was going to leave for Hannibal, Missouri. we stayed there only one night and the next day we started for St. Jo, 206 miles further west.
We have been here two days. I have been two nights without going to bed. The first night we was all night on the cars coming to this place. And the next night, just as we was going to bed, was ordered to march and was all night on the cars again. We was after the rebels. They set fire to a bridge on the railroad and we arrived in time to put it out before it done much damage. There was 200 of us. We went and surrounded the town and took 25 prisoners. I cannot give you the full details of it but there was no one killed. But we had lots of fun when we brought them to town. We took a keg of powder and guns and boyeknibes [?] and four secession flags from them. There is another lot of men started up the railroad to take some more. I do not know of only one secession man been killed. One of our regiment shot him as we was coming to this place. One of our men went and asked him if he was not a secessionist and he said he was. He asked him if he had a secession flag. He said he had and swore he should not have it. He drew a pistol on our man and told him he would shoot him and our man shot him down on hte spot and he never spoke.
There is a great many rebels about here but they dare not saymuch as the Union men are the strongest. They have threatened the Union men of St. Joseph before we came but they are pretty quiet now. The people are pleased to see us wherever we go. If you had seen them come from town this morning when we fetched the rebels to town, one would think we had plenty friends.
Dear, you must excuse me this time for I must close. I am tired. John Eichelberger sleeps with me and he is abed and asleep. Dear Ann, you must not write to me until you hear from me again for we do not know how soon we will have to leave. I will write again soon if all is well. Excuse me Ann if I say [a poem not transribed]
Yours with love, — James Murkin
Letter 9
St. Louis, Missouri
January 8, 1862 [1862]
Dear Anna,
Yours of the 31st came to hand and after looking over its contents was sorry to hear that you was sick and was still encouraged to hear that you was getting better and hope when I hear from you again that you will be well. The cold which I had when I wrote to you, I am not well of yet. I have been quite unwell for a few days and have neglected writing to you. I am better this evening than I have been for some time. A great many of our boys have been quite sick with colds. It seems to be general all through the regiment. The weather is very bad here at present—some time rain and some times snow and sometimes freezing which makes the streets all ice and unpleasant to get about.
I will send a newspaper with this letter. you will find on the first page a piece written by one of our boys. It is Shedad. McDowell College is in full blast. It is on the outside column on the first page.
Anna, Christmas and New Years passed off very dull. We cannot get to go to town but very seldom. I have not been up to town since Christmas. We are kept pretty close. I guess it is better for sum than if we was allowed to go as we pleased. I have nothing of importance much to write as things at our college seem to be a going on about right. All is still and quiet. We are still having some new students every few days but they enter college very much against their will. We are looking for more every day from the western part of this state.
Anna, I got a letter from my mother the other day. She is well and she received my likeness safe but she thinks it do not look much like me. But it has been a long time since she saw me that I have changed and to see me in a military suit of clothes would make me look [even] more strange yet. She said she wished I was out of the army and peace and harmony once more reigned in this country. Anna, I hope that day will come soon and we all live to return home to greet those we have left at home.
Anna, I must close for this time. My respects to all your folks and love to. Anna, when you write, direct to James Murkin, Co. H, 2nd Infantry Iowa Vols.
Spared & Shared 23 