Lake County Ohio GenWeb

    (Keithsburg, Mercer County,Illinois)

March 1, 1863

Mrs. Mary Reeves Dear friend

   Not having received any answer to my last letter we thought we would send you a paper and put you all in rememberence of our existence. We are all well at present and soon hope to hear the same from you. We have had a very mild winter. The river has not been frozen enough to cross, only on foot and only a few days then. They have crossed with skiffs all winter. Although there has been large cakes of ice laying on the river or since Christmas. Esther came the first of Sept(ember) and is much heartier and has grown quite fleshy. She was quite thin and dainty at first but in a months time she commenced mushrooming and hardly looks like the same child. She likes living here best she says. When she gets naughty Noah tells her he is going to send her back to Ohio. She tells him he can't. My brother Henry is in the Army. He enlisted last August. He came to see us about the first of November and stayed two days and nights then his regiment came along their way down the river. He is now in camp near Vicksburg. He has been unwell since Christmas not able for duty at all but feeling some better when he wrote the second of February. He is 31st Iowa Regiment Co. B Capt. R_g_?? Speers Comd. Several have come home discharged from the hospital and from future service within a few days. One company from his county was badly used up in the battle at Murfreesboro (Tennessee). Many from Keithsburg were killed. Oh what a dreadful time. How many hearts and homes are made desolate. But I must close as I only intended to write a short note when I commenced. I am afraid the Post Master would think I was sending contraband news if they should open this. Please write soon. No don't delay and tell all that has transpired since your last letter which was nearly a year ago.

Adaline Wirt

Emma and Oscar must write often.

At Mrs. Mary Reeves

Willoughby (Cuyahoga County, Ohio)