Autograph Letter, Signed. dated September 28, 1862

Jones, Isabel [or, less likely, Grace], apparently a Nurse in the Union Army during the Civil War

Publication Date: 1862

About this Item

20 cm x 25 cm single sheet folded to make 4 handwritten pages. Large patriotic color Illustration of a bald eagle with 2 U.S. flags occupies top third of first page of stationery. Two horizontal fold mark. Split halfway across on a fold on the last two pages. Pinkish color to much of the letter suggesting old damping. Ink quite faded and generally difficult to read. Many words are so indistinct that it was impossible for us to read them, and some other words or phrases are just gone. Her letter is addressed to an otherwise unidentified cousin. Jones does not seem to show on standard lists of Civil War Nurses but the information in this letter suggests that she should. Here is our effort to transcribe this difficult-to-decipher letter: "Your letter of the 21st came to hand in due time but I had about made my mind that you was not going to write to me. I was glad to hear from you and hope that you will not fail to write again. I am [?] well. Hoping you enjoy the same good blessing. We are situated on the same ground we occupied a part of last Fall and Winter. We have been here about four weeks. After spending the summer on the peninsula, we are very glad to obtain [???] old ground which seems almost like home. You want to know why I am in the hospital. It is not because I am sick but because others are sick and need care. I am what is termed nurse. My wages are $26.50 per month. The business is by no means delightful but I get along very well. We have got one fellow who is very sick I fear he will not recover. On the Peninsula my health became very poor but now I am well. I wish that I could hear that Grandmother is on the gain but fear I never shall. Tell hear I think of her nearly all of the time and and want to see but if I fail to see her {? ? ? I expect to see her in Heaven. I have wrote to your father. I presume he has received my last letter before now. I do not know that I can tell you anything about the war that would amount to anything more than you already know. As we are at present we are retired from the active field I am not as well posted as when we were aamid the turmoils of battle. I have not heard a battle sound since we came across the river. Apparently all seems quiet which seems good. [top two lines at top of 4th page too indistinct to decipher] My hospital service is every other day. Every other day and night. I have to work taking care of the sick of our regiment then I am idle twenty-four hours. . [several lines gone or indistinct here] and the [???] I will have a chance to eat army rations, wear army cloths and [a few more,mostly indistinct lines] ." She ends the letter by requesting that her cousin write to her at Hospital 50th NY Engineer Regiment, Washington D.C. Online information reports that the regiment, composed mostly of men from New York and a small number from Pennsylvania, lost by death 10 killed in action, 7 from wounds received, and 214 from disease and other causes.

Seller Inventory # 91613

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Autograph Letter, Signed. dated September 28, 1862
• Publication Date: 1862
• Condition: Poor
• Seller catalogs:
  • Medicine
  • Civil War
  • African Americana
  • Women's Studies