The following Aurora, Illinois home front letter was written by 19 year-old Abbie Rosalie (Hall) Brundage (1844-1926), the wife of Charles F. Brundage (1842-1903). The couple were newly married and had no children. County records indicate they were united in marriage on 13 April 1863 in Kane county, Illinois. Abbie was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of John Sidney Hall (1818-1901) and Abigail Hasting (1818-1923) who also resided in Aurora, Illinois, where her father was employed as a carpenter/carriage maker. Abbie’s husband had served in Co. I, 11th Illinois Infantry early in the war as a 3-month volunteer.

Abbie wrote the letter to her cousin, John “Emerson” Anderson (1833-1896), the son of John May and Parney (Hastings) Anderson of Oakdale, Worcester county, Massachusetts. Emerson enlisted on 25 May 1861 as a private in Co. D, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry. He was taken prisoner on 24 May 1862 during the battle of Winchester but was paroled in June 1862 and promoted to sergeant, mustering out of the regiment in mid-July 1865. The 2nd Mass Vols. participated in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, Siege of Atlanta, March to the Sea, Savannah, and others.

The letter was penned just three days after President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address.

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

Aurora [Kane county, Illinois]
November 22d 1863

It has been some time since you got a letter from me and now I will try in my poor way to write you a few lines. I supposed the reason why I did not get a letter was that you had gone to help Rosecrans and I believe I was right. I cannot write anything that will be interesting to you that I know of.

I had a letter from cousin Lewis [Marble Hastings]. ¹ He was married to a young lady whose given name is Phebe [Arnold] the 15th day of August. I have both his and his wife’s photograph. She is not handsome nor even what is styled good-looking, but I should judge her to be a good amiable girl. She is a school teacher and Lewis has taken charge of the Seminary at Osceola, Iowa, and she is an assistant. I had begun to think he never would see anybody that he thought was good enough, and his marriage took me very much by surprise. Uncle Lewis ² is in the army but in what capacity, I do not know. I thought he is rather old for army service.

I suppose if you live until the war is over, there will be no need of your traveling for you have done considerable of that since you have been in the army. Your health seems to be good and to keep so, and I suppose you have no fears now but what your health will be good as you have stood it for so long a time.

I have not heard from your mother yet and Sarah Bigelow does not write—only about two letters a year. It seems to me as if she might get more time to write than I do but does not have near as much I know. I have as many as 8 or 10 to write to all the time and sometimes find myself with lots of penning to do and sometimes I get almost discouraged before I get them all answered. I really would like to know how the folks East are getting along. Sometimes it seems as if they did not care for us. I have not seen the folks at Batavia & Geneva [Illinois] for some time but presume they are well.

I have another letter to write this evening and my side aches so badly I shall have to make both letters short. I do not know how all the poor are going to get along this long cold winter but I presume something will be done for them. Things are very high and it takes all one can earn to get along comfortable.

Direct to Care of C. F. Brundage, Box 18, Aurora

Write soon and tell me how the soldiers fare this winter. Love from all and a good share from your loving cousin, — Abbie Brundage

---

¹ Lewis Marble Hastings, Jr. was born 18 April 1837 at West Boyleston, Mass. He came to Iowa in 1858 where he began public school teaching. In 1863 he was married to Phoebe Arnold of Garden Grove, Decatur county, Iowa. He was a pioneer in the development of the public school system of Iowa. In 1864 he organized the public schools of the city of Otumwa, which were previoulsly ungraded. He remained there until 1873 when he became President of the Iowa State Teacher’s Association. From 1873 to 1882 he was engaged in public schools in Illinois (West Aurora). He then returned to Iowa in 1882, moving to Iowa City in 1888.

² Lewis Marble Hastings, Sr, (1813-1901) of Decatur county, Iowa. He was married to Margaret Green (1811-1878). During the Civil War, Lewis served in Co. C, 9th Iowa Cavalry but was discharged with injury in 1865.