This unsigned letter was clearly written by a female from Plano, Illinois, who signed herself as a “friend” to George Anthony Beck (1838-1889), then serving in Co. H, 13th Illinois Cavalry, and encamped near Pilot Knob, Missouri. George’s father, Benjamin J. Beck, died on 20 August 1862 at the age of 48. With two of his younger brothers serving in the Civil War at the time, George may have wanted to return home after his father’s death and it’s noted that George was able to able to be discharged on 31 August, 1862.

Since this is the only letter written by this woman, I can’t compare her handwriting to other correspondence of known origin but my hunch is that it was written by Caroline Elizabeth Tenney (1842-1920) of Plano who became George’s wife on 31 December 1863.

The letter speaks of the President’s call for volunteers in the fall of 1862 which resulted in the raising of a regiment in and around Plano that organized and mustered into service as Co. F, 127th Illinois Infantry, commanded by Capt. Charles Schryver of Big Rock.

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

Plano, Illinois
August 17th 1862

Dear Friend,

Your kind and interesting letter of the 6th came to hand the 21th inst. and I assure you, it was welcomely received as it had been six weeks since I received your last and you can hardly imagine how highly I prize such welcomed letters. You are perfectly excusable for your tardiness for I know you have been very busy. I heard from you by the way of Maria’s letter. You were very thoughtful to remember me in her letter and your compliments were kindly received. I heard some three weeks ago that your company had gone on to join [Gen.] Curtis but it seems that only part of your company that were at Reeves Station have gone on and that you are nearer home than before.

The war business looks rather discouraging at present but you know the old saying, it is always darkest just before day. It is true our side has lost ground lately, but I think it will all prove to be for the best at last, and I believe that if our army before Richmond had gone on and taken that place, the President would not have issued an order to confiscate the property of the rebels and employ the negroes to do the hard work that our poor soldiers have been obliged to do, while they [the negroes] have been ready and willing to do it if they could only have the privileges. And I believe this war will never come to an end until slavery is done away with.

The call for 600,000 more men must rejoice the hearts of you that are already in the field. I do not think there will be much need of drafting as there are a great many enlisting all through the North. However, I do not think all of the states will fill their quotas. If they do not, I hope they will draft for I do not think the President has called for any too many. I think the more that go at once, the quicker this war will be over and the easier it will be for all. It would not pay to send a few at a time and have them killed off. And I think the quicker they can get 600,000 more in the field, the better. As you said, if they wait until you are all cut to pieces, they will not have you to help them and they will have the same ground to go over alone. The rebels will improve every moment until you are reinforced and for this reason I think what is done ought to be done quickly. And I trust it will be.

Charles Scriber [Schryver] has got up a company [Co. F, 127th Illinois Infantry] in and around Plano. There are a great many of our neighbors going. I will name some of them. Mr. Andrews, Mr. Ludington, John and Amasa Steward [Stuart], Alfred Darnell, Ed[ward] Welch, Ben[jamin K.] Favor, John Rowley, Henry Gies, I[chabod] Gurney, and a great many others that I will not attempt to mention. I attended a war meeting one week ago Saturday. It was held in the meeting house which was crowded full. We had some good speeches, I tell you. There were several that enlisted that evening. Ben[jamin Kimball] Favor and Cornelia Doil [Doyle] were married last Thursday [14 August 1862]. I was rather surprised to hear such news as Ben is going to war so soon but everyone to their notions.

Sarah and George were here the other Sunday and so was Maria. She comes here with John Petit. He appears a real good, steady fellow. He is going to war too. Maria is at work over to Mrs. James Culver’s. I went over there one evening to see her on horse back. I had a good visit with her but it was rather short as I did not get off my horse.

I am glad you are having such good fare. You said you had melons. You have got the start of us a little. Ours are not near ripe for I tried one the other day. We have some apples that are quite good for making pies but they are not very good to eat raw. Some of our trees hang so full that we are afraid they will break down. We will have a great many more than we had last year. There are a great many that will be good next winter. It makes this winter evenings pass off so pleasantly to have some apples that I look forward expecting to have good times eating them.

You wished I could have some of your apples that you have there which I should like very much. I shall wish you could have some of ours for we have some that I think are real good when they are ripe. You stated that you had orders to go on another scouting expedition to be gone a week…[rest of letter is missing]