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Handwritten letter book consisting of retained copies of letters written by Captain Wilson during four decades of his life, much of it in Ireland and Canada between 1809 and 1845. Measuring 10" x 8". 74pp. Approximately 29,000 handwritten words. Paper covers with string binding. Covers and internal book pages have small chips and age-toning, spine is detached from the cover thus very good. A letter book detailing the life of a Captain Wilson between 1809 and 1845. The book of handwritten copies beginning with his time in command at Carlisle Fort in Ireland. Wilson is often preoccupied with clerical and menial tasks, settling disputes and sending reports, until he is transferred to Bandon in May of 1810. Wilson moves frequently, spending less than six months to a year in each new post. Bantry, Bath, Hereford, Weymouth, Spain, Winchester, Paris, St. Vast, London, and other places before settling in Plymouth in 1820, before moving once again. Wilson writes about the negligence in the camps where he is stationed, often citing disrepair, grime, and alcoholism in the barracks. He also writes about his shares in the Gas Light Company and the Coke Company. Wilson s constant movement is due in part to his need for money. He frequently writes about his financial problems and with each move is hopeful to advance in the ranks and receive commensurate pay. He finally writes in 1818 about his desire to retire from the service and accepts half pay to avoid going back to Ireland with his regiment. Wilson s retirement was prompted by his weariness from his long service as well as the discouraging conditions that he witnessed. He writes about the soldiers turning to alcoholism, family members dying, his inability to help a young woman and her daughter repatriate to Ireland, and the rape of a five-year-old boy. He also devotes a full letter to his dismay when his copy of Lord Byron's poems is found missing from his room. Letters from 1828 and after largely discuss the transfer of his shares in Gas Light Company and the Coke Company into a wine business, with a brief word of worry about the cholera outbreak in France; his son is deaf and dumb and the asylum may close (ominously the son is not mentioned again). Later in 1841 he and his family move to Canada, and aside from some difficulty in receiving money for his commission, he quickly adapts to his new life with the last few letters focused on barrels of flour, orders of pork, and a recently purchased pianoforte. An intriguing and voluminous collection of letters detailing a military officer's daily life, service, and travels, and his struggles to maintain his family. We suspect that further inquiry could very likely uncover more information about Captain Wilson.
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