33rd Wisconsin Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER from Tennessee RED RIVER CAMPAIGN Etc

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33rd Wisconsin Infantry CIVIL WAR LETTER from Tennessee RED RIVER CAMPAIGN Etc :
$42.00

CIVIL WAR LETTER

Headstone of Brainard Rider

This Civil War letter was written by Brainard Rider (1836-1893) of Porter township, Rock county, Wisconsin. He enlisted as a corporal in Co. E, 33rd Wisconsin Infantry, on 21 August 1862 and mustered out of the service on 9 August 1865.

The wonderful enclosure is a newspaper account of the Red River Campaign - which Rider references in the letter.

Brainard was born in Waitsfield, Washington county, Vermont. His parents were James Rider (1795-1871) and Sarah English (1794-1860). In 1860, Brainard’s father was residing in Westfield, Orleans county, Vermont, with three other sons — Elisha Rider (b. 1831), James S. Rider (b. 1827) and Guernsey Harris Rider (1837-1887). James enlisted in Co. H, 4th Vermont Infantry on 30 July 1863. He was killed on 5 May 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness. Brainard survived the war and returned to farming in Wisconsin but never married.

The letter was written to Miss Mary (“Minnie”) Therese Stebbins (1850-1915), the daughter of Harrison Stebbins (1820-1882) and Mary Arminda Bassett (1819-1901), who came from Westfield, Vermont, to Porter Township, Rock county, Wisconsin, in 1841. Minnie’s two siblings were Shapley Paddock Stebbins (1842-1916), and Flora Alma Stebbins (1853-1918). Minnie married Edwin Parker Savage (1846-1910).

TRANSCRIPT

Memphis [Tennessee]
June 28th 1864

Friend Minnie,

I received a letter from you last night dated June the 15th and was very glad to hear from you and that you was well. I am very well at the present time and hope this will find you well. The weather here is most awful warm. It seems as if it was a very dry up there. It is not very dry here. We have a plenty of rain and everything down here looks very well. I wish that I could go up north and stop there this hot summer but there is no use of me talking for furloughs are played out. There can’t any of the soldiers get a furlough unless he enlists as a veteran and that I never will do. I think when I have served in this war three years that will do for me. I should have thought Shapley would have enlisted with the Hundred Day men. I wish that he had for the reason that all the Cooktown boys is in here. We are camped about three miles apart. I have been and seen them and they have been here t our camp. I was very [glad] to see the boys that come from Cooks town. It almost seemed as if I had got home.

Our Regiment has gone off on another march. They went a week ago. I was not very well when they left and so I was left back with the rest of the played out soldiers. But I am all right now. We are staying here in camp and not but a very little to do. We was paid all four months pay a short time ago so we have plenty of money now. I sent to [your brother] Shapley for postage stamps but if he has not sent them, he need not send them for I can get them myself. I [can] not think of much more this time. In this letter I send you the Red River Campaign. (1.) This paper [see enclosure] is a good description of it. All of the boys that come from Porter are well. I shall have to quit but I want you to write as often as you can. Give my best respects to all of the family.

— Brainard B. Rider

(1) - NOTE - the newspaper article Rider references is shown in the scan, and will accompany this letter.

TERMS

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