ADDRESSED TO:
Mary E.WOOD
Mary E.(GANOUNG) WOOD, my great-great-grandmother.
  • We put in a request for a records search to see if there were pension records for Samuel WOOD. Turns out Mary E.'s persistence paid off; Samuel did receive a pension. She had included this letter in the package provided to the attorney. It came back to us in a PDF. It's 160 years old so I did my best to transcribe.

FROM:
Samuel WOOD
Samuel T. WOOD, my great-great-grandfather.
Elmira Barreks no one
March the 16 1865


I got your leter the Sunday I was glad to get it I have been sick ever since the first day I came here I have the worst cough I ever had in my life but it is loose I dont want you to worry your self to deth about me I am not eny worse than I was a week a go I am in hopes I wil get over it after a while I wil get my leave some time but I dont know when dan Smith is here Sarah Rockwells man I dont know how long we shal stay here and as for a furlough that cant be had The furloughs were made out but stoped by order from head quarters so I dont look for that eny more til my year is up

I never new what it was to be deprived of my liberty be fore I want to know what Regiment and Company
? Dike
? - It's a first initial, but my mid-19th century cursive is very rusty. The surname Dike appears in family letters 30 years later.
is in Lib I dont know how you will go along but I aint going to let it worry me eny more than I can help I want you to get along as wel as you can dont sufer while you have got eny thing I hope that I may live to get beter again I want to see you and the children very bad what Mary thinks or says dont make eny diference to me give my respects to all that thinks enough to inquire about me and my others I want the place to be sold if it can be I cant rite mutch a poor begining make a good ending if that is so I should think I woul come out all rite

for I have ben sick ever since I have ben here that is the first night of the two I am beter rite ho is drafted thare rite me good long leters I would rite if I felt like it tell to be a good boy and take care of things as wel as he can I hope we wil all meet again good by for this time

Direct as before