Document: Letter

Date: c. 1930

Source: Photocopy of a letter in the possession of Carl W. Kruse.

There apparently was at least one page before the pages in the photocopy. I do not know who the letter was written to but I suspect that it was to his grandson Carl H. Kruse

(Page 1)

Just after the civil war on my return to Boston Mass 1865&6 I had a violent cough spit blood my father was much worried about me as some of his relatives had died with consumption.

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Retrospection

I will tell you a little more of life. I am just an ordinary person have not set the river afire at any time in my 92 years of life.

All of my relations and ancestors are Plymouth Mass born, direct from the first settelers who landed on the rock bound coast of Plymouth Mass in the year 1620 and on.

On my Mother’s side I am a direct descendent of Elder Faunce who came in the ship Ann, in 1623. he lived to be 99 years of age. two of his sisters lived to be over a 100 years old.

My mother’s Mother lived to be 96 years. possibly if she had not met with the accident of falling down stairs she would have reached 100. she opened the wrong door at the head of the stairs to the chamber

(Page 2)

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on my Father’s side his sister my aunt Lucy lived to be 95. The house my father was born in is still standing. my cousin Mary now occupies it. it is about 200 years old. she is the only reletive I have on my fathers side.

My father was a hard working man at his trade. in thoes days they worked from sun to sun, but he was very strong. he never seemed to get tired. he finished off his house when I was a kid, hold the latern light so he see, scold me if I got weary. so that was the begining of my long life and I have been busy all of my life, and here at the end I find myself living among the crackers in Florida. I can hardly belive it. I am living with my daughter. we came here from Chicago Ill and bought here. been here six years. My daughter is not Married I am enjoying my sunset of life here very Much. My daughter is very capable and we enjoy each other very much. When my time comes to pass on I am ready and with Joy will go to meet my loved one in our heavenly home.

(Third Page)

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I am writing more then I intended to but I want to mention a few other incedence. In 1862 I was working in Boston. I voted for Lincoln for President in Boston while living their. in Jan 1861 I was taken with a number of other men to Washington D.C. to help make up a regiment for the defenses of Washington. After a while the regiment was made up. In July 1862 we was ordered to March into Maryland to overtake the rebels who under Gen Lee were marching to Fredrick City. I stood the marching very well. when we halted for a few minuets I would lay down head on my knap sack a go to sleep so when the order came to fall in I was refreshed. I was sergent of my company and finaly was in the great battle of Antietam. After the battle we was orded back to Washington for duty. I was finaly orded for duty as clerk in the Quater Masters Office which was near the Baltimore & Ohio railroad station. I had to make out out passes for soldiers going to the front. transpotation for regiments and other things you ask in your question if I used {illeg}. now comes in play the value of my temperate habits. every one drank officer and private. I would be invited to a drink often. My officer Capt Camp used it to often.

(over)

(Fourth Page)

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As I could be depended upon they got to think a good deal of me. every once in a while orders would come that all detailed men should go back to their regiments. But the Captain I was under would not let me go. It makes me smile to think of it now. he was so earnest about it. He wrote to Headquarters saying he could not spare me. the service needed me where I was. two or three times the same incident occured. I got him out of trouble once or twice when he had drank to much. he was a fine man otherwise, and we became very intimate. I used to make out a report every morning and take it up to the War Department. I shook hands with Mr. Lincoln a number of times. heard his second inaugral address.

(Fifth Page)

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I will now speak about my going out west. In 1869 I was living in Worcester Mass. at that time there was a lot of talk about young men going west. Horace Greeley’s sayings young man go out west, was quoted often. the papers took it up. Well a number of men about my age got the fevor. we formed a company put up $25 a piece. sent an agent to missouri to find a suitable place. The final result in my case was in 1869 in February I packed up my belonges an took the train for Missouri. arrived at Stewartsville Mo Feb 15th. A friend who was already there met. he was also a Plymouth Mass man. we went in together took up land, boarded out with setlers, people from Kentucky. Now I am surely in the country. hard work before me. a pioneer indeed. one store 9 miles off another 7 miles away to obtain table supplies when in. I had to hitch up in a two horse wagon, or go horse back. We put up a shanty about 8 X 10 slant roof put up 2 bunks for sleeping, Now comes hard work. there was about two miles of post and rail fences to put up.

(Sixth Page)

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To cook we had our fire out doors. we had a good deal to live on, flapjacks we obtained, milk from a neighbor and I made biscuits once in a while. My partner was a good shot so we had game to eat (I am writing this so that you might infer perhaps from my experience one reason why my life is so long)

While living in Boston the east winds effected me very much. so I moved to Worcester Mass to avoid them. Well we bought an acre of timber standing seven miles from our shanty to cut down and split for our fence & hoists and fire wood. Well we would get up early get something to eat always griddle cakes in the morning, start for the timber about six O clock, work all day cuting down large trees, spliting them for fence rails & it would be night before we got home. mostly this was repeated for two or three months. we drove the posts into the ground with a heavy mall. we would stand in our cart to drive the Posts. we had to sharpen the Posts. At this time our wifes were not with us, aftr our fence was up, the plouging of the sod had to be done. well to make a long story short it is was very hard work but the quick of it was I enjoyed it very much. my health began to improve. my cough left me, has never come back

(Seventh Page)

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In October our wifes came, each with a child a year or so old. Well I continued to live in Missouri for 20 years. three children was born to me two girls and a boy. after a few years, the Rock Island R.R. went through to St Joseph built a station near my home. we named Amity, Dekalb Co. 7 miles from Amity it is the county seat. we built a church there. there is only about three persons that were with me in the early days that ar alive and I am the oldest. In 1892 I sold out and went to Harvey Ill to live with my children. were very fine. only two left. Harvey is a surburan city of Chicgo. I will mention my son Horace. he turned out to be a very capebal man. he is 52. we was in business togather in Harvey for some years. Flour & feed business. In 1909 I took the government {illeg}. In 1899 I sold out our business. my folks they {illeg} had better as the heavy lifting and dust was getting to much for and cough to much. My son obtained a situation in the Bank of Harvey and made good. finaly some people from Dolton came to him and wanted him to start a bank for them. Dolton is about five miles from Harvey. Well my son went for it. started it in a dweling house. made his plans for a bank building just as he wanted it.

(Eighth Page)

he was a little over 30 years old he was made President. the bank was a success from the first.

was in Cleveland’s lime business. was dull Banks failing al around him but he stuck to it. depended on his own self reliance and came out alright. The Bank examiner praised him. said the Bank was fine. Dolton is one of three towns in a row about 5 or 6 miles apart. he has started a bank in each one, so has charge of 3 Banks which he manages very suc-fully.

My mind is very clear. I am interested in all that is going on in the world. I read a great deal. I use a magnifying glass to help me. I never have used quack medicine, Much. We use homocopathic medicines.

Well I will close

Yours Truly

Wm C. Holmes