1865 Farmersburgh, Iowa CIVIL WAR LETTER Written Just as War Ended - Content

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1865 Farmersburgh, Iowa CIVIL WAR LETTER Written Just as War Ended - Content :
$9.50

Civil War Letter

Interesting content in this Iowa Civil War letter written just two days after the war ended.

Note - the CDV image came with the letter but I don\'t know who the CDV is a picture of . Maybe it was a nephew or something thought I couldn\'t find any siblings who lived in Michigan. The cap has the initials MMA on it. This stood for Michigan Military Academy which didn\'t come into existence until 1877. We are leaving it with the lot in hopes someone will figure it out.

FULL TRANSCRIPT, SCANS and some RESEARCH NOTES below.

This letter was written by Orville Reed Paige (1830-1912) to his parents Leonard L. Paige (1801-1881) and Rosella Reed (1811-1895) of Russia, Lorain County, Ohio. Orville was married to Sarah Doty (1837-1904) in Clayton County, Iowa in March 1857.Orville purchased hisfarm in Highland, Clayton County, Iowa for $800 in 1860 from William and Pamelia Reed.

Orville\'s younger brother, Charles Henry Paige, came to Iowa with him and served with the 21st Iowa Infantry during the Civil War.

See also --1830: Orville Reed to Rosella (Reed) Paige

April 11th 1865

Dear Father & Mother,

I take up the pen this evening to write you a few lines. You will see by this that I am not at home now. I started yesterday & went to McGregor to trade a little & got back as far as Un___. William & [I] got storm bound so I have put up for the night. Things are rather flat here just now. Wheat is 75 cts., oats 25 or 30 & corn ditto. Goods & other things are coming down.

We hear that Richmond is taken and Lee captured & things look as though the Rebellion was about wound up. Last night, McGregor made an illumination in honor of the event. I was here some 4 or 5 weeks ago & got the things that you sent me by Aunt & she tells me something about her visits to you & your habitation & she says you are quite anxious to see me & are wishing that I would come home. She has told you probably how I am situated here better than I can by letter. She tells me that you are somewhat embarrassed in your affairs now. I would just like to know how you are situated & if I can help you in relieving you of debt. But I would like to know how much you are owing and who to. Have you mortgaged it to anyone & for how much? And how do you calculate to pay it?

I have been able to pay off my indebtedness so far & now stand clear -- or nearly so, I believe. I have considerable property that if times were as they were last year I could make quite a sum of money from it. I can spend it in improvements on my place if I should choose -- if I get it this season -- or I could deny myself as I have generally tried to do & maybe I could help you some. This is all guess work. I do not know as I shall or can sell my grain this season. I shall not if it continues as low as it is now. It all depends on these circumstances. But I would like you to just tell me how you are situated so I can form some plan for your relief. You are getting old now & I can not bear to think that in your old age you should be weighed down with care & debt & not take that satisfaction in life which it seems that you ought to.

We are all as well as usual, or was when I left home. I have just written to William. Charles went away from here last fall & I have lost track of him. If you know where he is, just mention it & I will write to him. Aunt says that she heard when she was there but has forgotten.

The winter was very open & a great deal of ice. The spring is cold, backward, & now commences to be wet. We have not sown any grain yet & we are afraid we will not for some time. I have just bought½ a broad cast sowing machine to help along this spring, but I guess we shall not be able to get along through the mud with it tomorrow. Its cost is $80.00. I have about 400 bushels of wheat on hand & 300 of oats & some corn & we made about 600 lbs. of butter last summer & have over 300 on hand to sell but I cannot get but 15 cts now for it so I guess I will have to summer it again unless goods fall so much as to pay to exchange.

My sheet is nearly full & it is getting late so I must close this. The Post Office is so handy I thought I would improve the opportunity & I hope you will soon write.

Yours truly, -- O. R. Paige

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