Letter written by sister Sarah Barrows from "Home" to her brother on September 11, 1861

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PAGE IMAGE [written in margins: Much Civil War news
Esp. pp 2-3 (deserters)]

No 1

Home Sept. 11. / 61 -Dear Brother (Barrows, Reland F.)

I was very glad to receive
another letter from you so soon. Your
letters do us all a great deal of good
& I hope you will contintue to write as
often as you have already. I should have
written you yesterday but we were very
busy in the shop making mourning for
Andrew Colis (Colis, Andrew) family. he died last Sat
evening. We have had a funeral three
days this week in the village & three
person lay dead over the Sabbath. [Ira?] Hood (Hood, [Ira?])
died very suddenly at last. he
has been failing quite fast for two or three
weeks has not been able to go out of the
house. last Sat he was sitting at the table
got up & started to go up stairs. [Eben] ([Eben]) said

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PAGE IMAGE he saw that he faltered & asked him if he
could help him any he told him no & fell
dead as suddenly as if he had been shot. he was
buried Monday. Mr. Josiah Harlow (Harlow, Josiah) that
was sick at Esra Harlow (Harlow, Esra) 's died sat &
was buried to day. Mr Cole (Cole (Mr.))   yesterday it
will be a sad thing for Mr C (Cole (Mr.)) 's family. I
don't know how they will get along
with it. Hannah (Hannah) is expecting her husband
home every day. he will have a care for them
I presume.
We heard yesterday that you had gone to
Harpers Ferry (Harpers Ferry, West Virginia) . I am sorry, for you seem so
much farther away from us than you would
on Arlington Heights (Arlington Heights, Virginia) . I hope it is a good
healthy place. Mother is very much worried
lest you should be sick. You must write us
all about it & how you are situated if you
are fairly settled there. I hopeyou will not
have to move again very soon. We hear to day
too that George French (French, George) & Webster Atwood (Atwood, Webster) have
deserted. I hope they will meet with
their proper punishment & they will be

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PAGE IMAGE out of all mischief. I should not be
surprised if we heard of them in the rebel
army if they succeed in getting far enough
away. The North Bridgewater (North Bridgewater, Massachusetts) dragoons have
volunteered for the war. [Capan?] left here this
morning. they expect to be sworn in to morrow
they go into the camp (the regiment of Cavalry)
at Readville (Readville, Massachusetts) , where the 18th (18th Regiment, Massachusetts) [was?]. Jason Wilbur (Wilbur, Jason)
after all his blustering about it
will not go. perhaps he is afraid of
being shot. George Henry Shaw (Shaw, George Henry) cannot go on
account of his lame hand. I don't know whether
Laban Forbes (Forbes, Laban) is going or not. There was a
recruiting office opened here yesterday for
the Union Reg't but I guess they did
not swell their numbers very fast. Everybody
now is waiting for the next blow to be struck
but we cannot tell from the papers where
it is expected. some think at Washington (Washington, District of Columbia) &
some think not but wherever it is, no one
has any doubt as to the result. I suppose
you have got the papers that have been sent
to you, before this we sill send you another
weekly journal as soon as published

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PAGE IMAGE Sylvanus (Sylvanus) has been sick for about a week
I expect he strained his stomach carrying
of ["off"?] shingles & then got cold. he has not
done very well since he was out to camp
he took cold there. He has been raising
blood for two or three days. but is better
now. has not raised any since night before
last. he is not able to go out at all
or even to get up to his room to sleep.
Doctor calls him better to day & I hope if he
is careful he will get over it soon. it makes
him very weak indeed & Doctor does not
think his lungs diseased though he coughs
some, but thinks this blood came from an
old strain. he had some pain in his side
yesterday in the old lame spot. He has not
been able to do anything for about a week
yesterday  mother got Patrick Murphy (Murphy, Patrick) to come
& cut the stalks. he got them partly cut
& shocked but it is a hard rain storm today
& he could not work. he is going to
thrash out the oats too. Swift (Swift) is very kind
indeed he does all he can to help us & take
your place as far as he can. I don't know
how we should get along without him. He
told me to tell you "how do you do" & that he
was witing particularly for that letter that he

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PAGE IMAGE No 2 thought he should follow in your footsteps
soon. [??] if he could not see you. but I
think he is joking. I do not believe he
will go to war at all. He could have had
a chance in the band of the 19th (19th Regiment, Massachusetts)! Charley Gibbs (Gibbs, Charley)
has gone in that & wrote home to any
of the boys that wanted to come that he
could get a chance for them. but none of them
[must?]. Swift (Swift) 's brother Moses (Swift, Moses) was here the other
day & traded wagons for him. he has got now
one of these high open buggy's (buggies) he rode in it
last night for the first time. Dick (Dick) makes
it skim over the ground like a bird. he says
he has got as good a team now as he wants
Miss King (King (Miss.)) is Live & says I must remember
her to you & tell you that she does not think
that [Rem?] could go to war now & learn
his new carriage. they rode out last night
I christened it. She has been here since last sat. we love to have her stay for we have
not got over being lonesome yet, for we miss
you very much. Marion (Marion) has been here now
nearly two weeks. She is a great deal of company
for us. Mother has three scholar
boarders contrary to her expectations for you

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PAGE IMAGE know she did not thing she should have
any. on is [S---?] ([S---?]) that used to board
here. another is George [S-ms?] ([S-ms?], George) brother that
used to board at Mr Staples (Staples (Mr.)) ' & a little
fellow that rooms with him. by the name
of Pillsbury (Pillsbury) - he has been a [page?] in the
house of Representatives (House of Representatives) at Washington (Washington, District of Columbia) has
been introducted to Abe Lincoln (Lincoln, Abraham) &c &c & take
it altogether he is the largest boy of his
size that I ever saw
We heard to-day that Mc Millan (McMillan) had
joined the Rhode Island (Rhode Island) Artillery (Rhode Island Artillery) & was
now in Washington (Washington, District of Columbia) & that [Red?] was trying
to get him a chance. I dont know whether they
have given up going to college or not, perhpas
they run the risk of getting killed & earn
their money in that way -
Mr Burrill (Burrill (Mr.)) has not got so as to go out
much of any yet. his slow [f--n?] proves a slow
one indeed. I suppose Susan (Susan) wrote you
about Mr Gay (Gay (Mr.)) he is doing very well but
does not get out yet. Jacob (Jacob) has been down to
see Sylvanus (Sylvanus) to-day & brought him some

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PAGE IMAGE papers to read. I think he is a very
kind neighbor he says he is going to
write to you soon. some difference between
him & Uncle F. (F. (Uncle)) who by the way was
here to dinner to-day.
I am glad you find your outfit so convenient
for yourself as well as others. if
any thing should fail, just let us know
We will send another supply. you have
not written who you gave the needle book
to. perhaps you could not find any one but
had one. You must write as often & as much
as you can find time to. for your letters are
worth everything to us. you shall hear an answer
to every one you will write. but I
guess you had better not write any more
on this thin paper that you sent last for the
ink struck through so that it was very
hard to read it & mother takes a great deal
of comfort in reading your letters & you can
send two sheets of [common?] paper as well
& I guess you had better use it.
Mother sends a great deal of love & would

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PAGE IMAGE have written some I think but I was in
a hurry to finish so that [birgit?] ([birgit?]) might
take it to the office Mother has a brave
heart after all [Relaxed?] & she gets along
so much better than I expected that we
all feel better. perhaps we judged her
too harshly, for she is a dear good mother
to us all. [Janus?] ([Janus?]) writes that he suffers very
much from the [??] where he is & there is
a great deal of sickness on board the Colorado
I hope you will write to some of us soon
I would write more but [birgit?] ([birgit?]) is waiting
& I must hurry - Mary Ann (Mary Ann) sends her love
in which we all join -
If there is to be any change in the
direction of your letters, be sure & write
for we want them all to reach you

with much love
from sister Sarah (Sarah)

Mr Brightman (Brightman (Mr.)) has gone in company with
Mr [Faughan?] ([Faughan?] (Mr.)) again & Mr Peckham (Peckham (Mr.)) is going in
them with [greinis?] [the?] same had his express
team taken away from him the other day for the
steam mill [tay?] & George Rickens (Rickens, George) his horse &
wagon for the same thing - they are to be sold
at auction soon, for they have not been redeemed