A letter from a Massachusetts soldier serving in the Civil War to his wife and children, January 20, 1862.

Transcription:

Camp Baker
January 20 1861 [[object Object]]

Dear wife and children
I Set down to write A few Loynes [[object Object]] to ye Hoping it will find ye In good Health— I aim to Inform you that I have been Sick this two weeks and is not Able to do Any Duty but How I this day Is much Better than usul [[object Object]]. I got a bad Cold and in A[[object Object]]count of way of Sleeping we Have Here It turned in to Ap ploerisy [[object Object]] but with the Help of god I will get over it and I I am not giting better nex[[object Object]] week I will Try to git Home

[[object Object]]

Dear wife you Must Excuse Me for Sending you Such A Small Sum as two dollars which you can get as you got it before by Delivering this Recei[[object Object]]t. I would Send $20 more but for fear I would not ^get Better that I Should get A furlow [[object Object]] to go Home then I would want it. Let Patrick [[object Object]]now that I got His Letter Last week and being So sick that I was not Able to write but with the Help[[object Object]] of god I will be Able to write to Him next week. Give my Love to Father and All the Family and Remember me to the Children. No More At present for Michael Lally

[[object Object]]

Direct your letter as before

Let me [[object Object]]now is James Sullivan in Roxbury or Has He the two children with Him I was Dream of them A few nights Ago—

Citation Information
Lally, Michael, “Letter from Michael Lally to his wife and children,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/6e22c799c0416f6bd3b662a3f8e58d73.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.
Courtesy of Brandeis University Libraries via Digital Commonwealth.

Tips for Students

For this source, consider:

  • the author's point of view
  • the author's purpose
  • historical context
  • audience