Letter written by Jennie O. Conant and Mary Conant from Groton to their brother Doc on August 8, 1861

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PAGE IMAGEGroton (Groton, New York) Aug 8th / 61
Brother Doc (Conant, Doc)

I will scribble a few lines
more previous to mailing this; I am now at my
second home, alias Aunt Omonds (Osmonds (Aunt)) '. Yesterday P.M.
Jennie (Conant, Jennie O.) & I visited Mattie W. (W., Mattie) s school, found
her enjoying life & surrounded by twenty youthful,
immortal minds, she is succeeding well we
all spent the night at Mr H (H. (Mr.)) s had an excellent
visit & never saw Nancy (Nancy) happier, we had some
excellent letters handed us in the Ithaca (Ithaca, New York) Journal
from Capt. Rowe (Rowe (Captain)) , & Lieut. Wager (Wager (Lieutenant)) , they were very
palatable and by request I perused them aloud.
Such information is very acceptable when
our brother will not deign to write & give us
a graphic description. I presume it grieves you,
yea, makes you meloncholly (melancholy) to write home and if
the sacrifice is too great you are excusable,
but it would gratify us more to hear from
you more than ought except the folded petals of the

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PAGE IMAGE soul (the lips) can express. If ever you return
we will then make our acknowledgements verbally.
Jennie (Conant, Jennie O.) is very well & as happy as her desolate
home (together with the national gloom that
lurks at all our hearth-stones) will admit.
The Acad is to be furnished with blinds!
Mattie Wartrous (Wartrous, Mattie) enquired for you this P.M.
you are kindly remembered in this vicinity
and if your needs are not supplied will
you not reprt them, so that our ready &
willing hands may procure you the necessaries
of life? Jennie (Conant, Jennie O.) is waiting for me to
conclude so I will say God give us liberty &
impart a special blessing on every volunteer
in the defense of his country. Whatever
may betide, you have the warm & earnest
sympathy of your sisters.

Jennie O. (Conant, Jennie O.) and Mary Conant (Conant, Mary)

Write if you please Mate.