Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Keithsburg (Mercer County, Illinois) July 13, 1862

   My Dear Friend It is a long time since I received your very welcome letter and which I have been so negligent about answering. I will not plead excuse, for it will not remedy the fault at this late day. Suffices it to say I have resolved to be more punctual in the future. We are all enjoying that inestimable blessing good health and hope you and yours are blest with the same. Harvesting commenced about the first of the month. Fall wheat and rye is nearly all in the shock. Spring wheat is not ready yet - but few raises oats as corn is used mostly for feed. Our spring was very cold and dry, but since June we have had a plenty of rain and warm weather. We commenced digging new potatoes the fourth, have some quite nice ones, have had a plenty of peas and beans and shall have corn by next Sunday I think. The most of our garden is late owing to the cold dry weather - There has been considerable excitement about the war at times and a great many have gone from here - Some that were killed at Ft. Donnelson were brought home in March and buried in soldier form. It has made a great many abolitionists here but they want the Negroes colonized South. I think we will do very well without any sugar molasses from Dixie as most everyone has their acre or two of sugar cane and many are raising their own tobacco. Since coffee has been so dear every one, almost uses a substitute for it. Some use sweet potatoes, some rye, some wheat, others corn meal and molasses dried and prepared like other varieties - Sweet potatoes are the nearest like the real beverage of anything we have tried. We raised all we could use and some to drink and sold several bushel every year. We have not quite as many this year. There is a great deal of corn bread used in this country and almost every one if they can possibly get, thinks they must have a pitcher of molasses on the table three times a day - it seems a virtual necessity almost. Many have from ten to a hundred hogs and corn by the cribs full, yet go with out meat half of the year but molasses is almost or quite a military necessity if not home made it must be bought. We are quite suckers yet as we prefer meat before sweet. We have a piece of cane planted and a little broom corn and tobacco, so we shall not buy much but saleratus and a few clothes this year. We hope to get our house finished this fall as we have lived in it two winters with out plastering. Mosquitoes are very bad nights during hot weather generally. This summer they have not troubled us. We use mosquito bars around our beds at night but have had no use for them this season. We received a letter from R-B Wirt a week ago announcing the death of sister Rebeca White who left a young son six days old. Poor motherless babe. She also left a little boy about eight years old. Hannah Wirt's husband died last April of consumption. I received a letter from home last Tuesday all well there and expect to come West about the first of September. My brother is still in Iowa he is thinking of visiting us this fall. I have not seen him (since) we moved to Willoughby. Oh how I would like to visit you again and have some of those old friendly chats we used to have. I have missed you very much since I left Willoughby. I must bid you good bye as I must write to Emma and Oscar. Kiss all your little ones for me. I want to see them all very very much. Noah sends his best respects and likes to hear often from you.    Adaline Wirt

Emma & Oscar Dear little friends We received your letters with much pleasure and would be very glad to see you both. I intended to have wrote to you both separately but Noah forgot to get me any paper last night. So I will finish this to you both. Mattie and Louisie are well and have grown so you would hardly know them. They do not go to school. They have learned the letters and can spell quite well in words of two letters. We have got nearly fifty young chickens some large enough to eat. We have eight nice hogs all but one fat as you often see. I think you both would like to come West and have some skiff rides. The water was very high last spring so we could go to town in a boat from our door yard. Our house stands upon a hill so it does not trouble us, only it looks gloomy to see so much water so near. The road to town is a cross a flat and ___ Tasse?? Creek passes through it to the river and almost every spring for a few weeks the flat is covered with water but it is a fine place to live. I hope someday I shall see you all again you must both write often to us. Good bye A. Wirt.