The following letter was written by 25 year-old Catharine Wilhelmina (Speckmann) Bramkamp (1840-1928), the wife of 36 year-old German-emigrant William H. Bramkamp (1828-1900) of Massac county, Illinois. According to a Speckman family tree, William’s full name was Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Bramkamp. Catharine wrote the letter to her brother, Rev. John August Christian Speckmann (1837-1914) of Iron Furnace, Scioto county, Ohio, who was married to Amelia Miller Speckmann in 1858. Catharine mentions one of her children in the letter, Charles Conrad Bramkamp who was born on 20 August 1864.

Massac county, Illinois, borders the Ohio River just opposite Paducah, Kentucky. The town of Bramkamp, Germany, where William was born is located in the region of Lower Saxony approximately 55 miles south of the industrial center Bremen.

[Editor’s Note: The first draft of this transcript was kindly prepared by Abbie Weber Jones.]

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

Massac County, Illinois
May 10th [18]65

Dear Sister-in-law and Brother,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all well, only our Charles Conrad has got the hacking cough. But he is getting better now. I don’t know much news—only that the Lutherans has got a new preacher now (Old Lutherans). Winaker is in Liberia in the Old Church now. Our quarterly meeting was last Sunday but the P[residing] Elder was not here. This is the second time that he was not here.

Here in Massac, it is getting a little better now. [My husband] William has joined again. There has been some sins [among] the other members again. We are willing to serve the Lord yet with all our heart [even] if it does go to trials. Pray for us that we may stand fast.

Now I must write you that William was drafted. He had to go to Cairo two times for the first time he was there, the news came that Lincoln was dead so the office was closed. He came home on 5 day furlough and when he got there again, they told him to go home again without a furlough. Them that had to stay got back again before he went the second time but they said that the rest have to report yet. This is about all the news I know, so I will come to a close.

Dear Sister-in-law—and you forgot yet that you said that you didn’t know whether you would write. I would like to have you to write very much. Write soon. Our best respects to you all, — C. W. Bramkamp

Sophia says she can’t come to see you like she did when you lived here. She says you should move back here again; then she would come. She says she wants Simons and the baby’s likeness. She knew Simon yet, when John showed it to her.