September 21st, 1862

From Caroline Burleigh | Transcribed by Nicole Grove

[Sept. 21st/61]1

Oh dear, shall I ever stop writing; here goes another piece of paper. Dr. Swift says that if you are not likely to receive what you laid out in soldiering, to write how much your bill is, and he will see it is made up.

Edward hasn’t come home from New York yet, I made out to arrive home safe but weary and sad of course.

The afternoon of the day you left, Will Sherwood; it seems he drove the horse out to Whitneyville and left the trunk, desk, &c, and then [went] back to New Haven, and when we came home he stopped to get the things; blunderhead, he got into the most unhandy place he could find, and in putting the things into the wagon frightened Fanny2 so that she jumped and turned so suddenly (that but for my presence of mind) we just barely escaped being turned over, and that was all, no thanks to him, that our bones were not broken.

They say that Mr. Whitney3 says that if any of the Co. of Whitney Rifles, or their families are in trouble, he will help them; perhaps he wouldn’t want the Irish to know it, for he might be called on unnecessarily; perhaps he never said so, I didn’t hear him.

Louise has woke up, and is trotting around our chamber while I write, I ask her what I shall tell Papa, she says, “I love Papa”. I wish you might see how comical she looks, I have pinned up her night dress so that it needn’t interfere with her locomotion, and she is dancing around here in high glee, she seems much better this morning. I hope it may last.4

Whoever takes Fanny please write them, or me, what you want them to do regarding the harness &c.5

Shouldn’t I be mad if this great long letter should never reach you, so write as often as you can (I know you will), for it is such a comfort to hear from you, your letters are all I have to anticipate now.

Much love and lots of kisses from your Carrie

  1. This letter was undated, so this date is just a guess based on the content. ↩

  2. Fanny was their only horse. ↩

  3. This was the famous Eli Whitney, inventor of the Cotton Gin, a device that, in an ironic twist of fate, contributed in a large part to the profitability of slavery and by extension was one of the causes of the Civil War.
    He helped to cause the organization of Company I of the 20th Connecticut, which was nicknamed “Whitney Rifles” in his honor. ↩

  4. Louise had been suffering with a cold. ↩

  5. Cecil and Caroline were trying to find someone to buy Fanny from them. ↩

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