2nd Illinois Cavalry CIVIL WAR LETTER From Orleans - GREAT CONTENT
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| Reference Number: Avaluer:131843 |
CIVIL WAR LETTER
This Civil War soldier letter was written by Pvt. Henry Lane Markham (1840-1883) of Co. H, 2nd Illinois Cavalry. He later served in Co. F, 4th US Regular Volunteer Infantry. According to the Illinois Veterans Index, Henry was 21 when he entered the 2nd Illinois Cavalry on 6 August 1861. He was discharged on 11 August 1864 after three years service. He was described as standing 5 feet, eight inches tall, with light hair and grey eyes. He was a farmer from Macomb, McD...onough county, Illinois, when he enlisted. He gave his birthplace as Laporte county, Indiana.Henry was the orphaned son of Lane Markham (1810-1846) and Margaret Griffin (1800-1840) of Laporte county, Indiana. After their death, he was raised by his uncle Horace. In these letters, Henry often mentions two other cousins of his that served in Co. H, 2nd Illinois Cavalry. They were Archibald (“Archie”) H. Markham (1835-1911) and his brother, Daniel Markham (1837-1910), the sons of Uriah Markham (1803-1848) and Elizabeth Adams (1803-18xx) of Brown county, Ohio. And yet another Markham cousin served in the same company—Aaron J. Markham (1835-1864) who was the son of Charles B. Markham (1800-1882) and Barbara Harsh (1800-1862) of Prairie City, McDonough county, Illinois. Aaron died of disease at Baton Rouge on 23 October 1864.Henry wrote to his cousin, Sarah Annette Markham (b. 1840), the daughter of Horace Marcum (b. 1791) of Knox county, Illinois.TRANSCRIPTIONNew Orleans, Louisiana
February 18th 1864Dear Cousin Sarah, I received your welcome epistle of the 31st ult. and I was very glad that you was so punctual in answering my last and I hope will continue to be so in the future. The boys are all in good health at present. Archey and Aaron have reenlisted and started home [on a vetern’s furlough] on the evening of the 15th. But perhaps you will see them before they come back.We have been treated very meanly by someone since we have been here. Our horses have been branded with “U.S.” against our will and they were appraised and the Quartermaster gave us vouchers to the amount of the appraisement which we can get our money on whenever the Quartermaster gets in. When that will be, I cannot say. Or we can sell the vouchers at a discount of ten percent or—in other words—they have forced us to sell our horses to the government at their own prices and hereafter we will get but 13 instead of 25 dollars per month. I don’t know who is to blame for the transaction but it is between the War Department & General Banks. If we get our pay before we leave here and get pay for our horses, I want to send you some more money—perhaps the same amount that I sent you before.Cousin Uzziel [Putnam] has got a discharge and has gone home more than a week ago. He said he would not stop in Illinois as he wanted to get home as soon as possible. I believe his foot will never get entirely well.The weather has been quite pleasant ever since we have been here with but few exceptions. As we went out on drill yesterday, I saw peach trees in full bloom and men in their gardens plowing but it is very cold today for this place. It snowed a very little and it clears off. It may freeze some tonight.I was glad to hear that that friend of yours got to come home and see you. You said that the people of Old Knox [county] said you were married but who should know as well as yourself. But you did not deny what they had said so that leaves me worse in the dark than ever.As to those questions that you asked me, I am sure I cannot answer them with any degree of certainty for you know “there is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip.” Now will you please answer me this question, are you married? If not, when do you expect to be?I do not think we will stay here long as we have had orders to have all the horses shod by the 25th of this month. Of course I cannot tell where we will go to. As I am getting rather chilly & can thing of nothing more at present that would be interesting to you, I will draw this hasty letter to a close and remain your ever true cousin, — HenryTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
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This Civil War soldier letter was written by Pvt. Henry Lane Markham (1840-1883) of Co. H, 2nd Illinois Cavalry. He later served in Co. F, 4th US Regular Volunteer Infantry. According to the Illinois Veterans Index, Henry was 21 when he entered the 2nd Illinois Cavalry on 6 August 1861. He was discharged on 11 August 1864 after three years service. He was described as standing 5 feet, eight inches tall, with light hair and grey eyes. He was a farmer from Macomb, McD...onough county, Illinois, when he enlisted. He gave his birthplace as Laporte county, Indiana.Henry was the orphaned son of Lane Markham (1810-1846) and Margaret Griffin (1800-1840) of Laporte county, Indiana. After their death, he was raised by his uncle Horace. In these letters, Henry often mentions two other cousins of his that served in Co. H, 2nd Illinois Cavalry. They were Archibald (“Archie”) H. Markham (1835-1911) and his brother, Daniel Markham (1837-1910), the sons of Uriah Markham (1803-1848) and Elizabeth Adams (1803-18xx) of Brown county, Ohio. And yet another Markham cousin served in the same company—Aaron J. Markham (1835-1864) who was the son of Charles B. Markham (1800-1882) and Barbara Harsh (1800-1862) of Prairie City, McDonough county, Illinois. Aaron died of disease at Baton Rouge on 23 October 1864.Henry wrote to his cousin, Sarah Annette Markham (b. 1840), the daughter of Horace Marcum (b. 1791) of Knox county, Illinois.TRANSCRIPTIONNew Orleans, Louisiana
February 18th 1864Dear Cousin Sarah, I received your welcome epistle of the 31st ult. and I was very glad that you was so punctual in answering my last and I hope will continue to be so in the future. The boys are all in good health at present. Archey and Aaron have reenlisted and started home [on a vetern’s furlough] on the evening of the 15th. But perhaps you will see them before they come back.We have been treated very meanly by someone since we have been here. Our horses have been branded with “U.S.” against our will and they were appraised and the Quartermaster gave us vouchers to the amount of the appraisement which we can get our money on whenever the Quartermaster gets in. When that will be, I cannot say. Or we can sell the vouchers at a discount of ten percent or—in other words—they have forced us to sell our horses to the government at their own prices and hereafter we will get but 13 instead of 25 dollars per month. I don’t know who is to blame for the transaction but it is between the War Department & General Banks. If we get our pay before we leave here and get pay for our horses, I want to send you some more money—perhaps the same amount that I sent you before.Cousin Uzziel [Putnam] has got a discharge and has gone home more than a week ago. He said he would not stop in Illinois as he wanted to get home as soon as possible. I believe his foot will never get entirely well.The weather has been quite pleasant ever since we have been here with but few exceptions. As we went out on drill yesterday, I saw peach trees in full bloom and men in their gardens plowing but it is very cold today for this place. It snowed a very little and it clears off. It may freeze some tonight.I was glad to hear that that friend of yours got to come home and see you. You said that the people of Old Knox [county] said you were married but who should know as well as yourself. But you did not deny what they had said so that leaves me worse in the dark than ever.As to those questions that you asked me, I am sure I cannot answer them with any degree of certainty for you know “there is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip.” Now will you please answer me this question, are you married? If not, when do you expect to be?I do not think we will stay here long as we have had orders to have all the horses shod by the 25th of this month. Of course I cannot tell where we will go to. As I am getting rather chilly & can thing of nothing more at present that would be interesting to you, I will draw this hasty letter to a close and remain your ever true cousin, — HenryTERMS$3.00 postage in the United States. We accept Paypal. Postage combined for multiple purchases. Please wait for me to send the invoice, otherwise will pay a much higher postage rate!For International buyers: We are now using eBay's Global Shipping Program. We had too many packages sent via the post office go missing. So we believe this program will be safer for us - and for you.We're members of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Illinois Postal History Society.We only sell genuine, original letters (no copies or reproductions). Some of our letters have been transcribed and nicely presented for future genealogists and history buffs on the Spared & Shared blog. We've been selling on eBay since 2001. BID WITH CONFIDENCE.
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