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Franklin County: Alex Cressler to Henry A. Bitner, June 18, 1861

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June 18th 1861.

Dear Henry:-

Yours of the 16th was
received in due time, which found [added: me] wa[illeg.][added: iting]
and also well and hearty with a good
appetite. The troops have all left
here but one Regiment [added: and that had left too] so that our town is coming
back to its former quietness, but false reports and
rumors are in great abundance, and correct reports
are very scarce. But as I enjoyed Saturday
evening with its scenes and a mess of strawberries
I will commence a description, if I should not
get it finished in this letter, look for the balance
in the next, so here goes.

The boisterous winds of noonday had died away and given
place to the gentler zephyrs of a delightful June
evening. The intervening clouds, which had emerged in
mountain like masses, from the Western horizon had
dispelled the scorching rays of that luminary, which
was gently sinking in the western sky and all was calm
and serene, save the evening notes of a few joyous

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birds whose carols seemed sweetened by the quiet &
beauty of the surrounding landscape. Indeed nature was
gently wrapping herself in her most gorgeous robes
of beauty, while the odors of a thousand flowers had
filled the air with their sweet perfume. And thus
while my mind was straying in unknown channels contemplating the magnificence and glory of surrounding
nature, a sound from the distance fell upon my ears
which by its unrivaled powers for engulfing the mind in
paroxyms of unconsciousness, had so enlarged my former conception of instrumental music, that the perpendicular of astonishment fell outside the base of consciousness and consequently submerged my powers of reason in a "ker splash," how
I extricated myself from the strong embrace of that fit
of ecstasies, could only be told by a scrutinizing observer,
however, when reason again returned I found myself
journeying towards that place from whence proceeded those bewitching strains of music, soon I was standing in the suburbs of a very splendid little city, the appearance of which
was quite picturesque of itself, and grotesque when compared
with the cities of the country. This modern city is about
one-half of a mile in length and about one-eighth of a
mile in breadth having a population of about 3,000

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inhabitants; the dwellings were of uniform size, the
largest being a little more spacious than the smallest
and the smallest being somewhat less in dimensions than
the largest, with streets leading along every side of the dwellings; and running either straight or crooked from [added: the] one end
to the other side so that strangers could amuse themselves by
turning as many times as there is differences of direction.

The architecture was of the latest style being neither
Grecian nor Gothic but a style of necessity. The roofs
of [deleted: which][added: the houses] were shingled with canvas, and the end of those
that were not round were neatly lapboarded with canvas
the roofs of some reached so near the ground that the ground
came in contact with the roofs, while with others the roofs
came in close conjunction with the earth, but others had a
partition wall of about 3 feet in height, this wall being of
solid masonry, the material of which was canvas, served to
point out the dimensions of the edifice by plainly distinguishing the outside from the inside of the structure, but I
would have you also remember that where the eve of the roof
reached the ground, there was no such wall, but in all
such cases the roof separated the inside from the outside
so that there still remained an inside and outside to
every temple. These buildings for convenience could not be

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surpassed the door being just at the place of entrance and
after becoming [deleted: iniated]initiated into the presence of the
occupants of the building and wishing to leave, you will
always find the door just at the place where you [added: come out] [deleted: entered],
and if your company has been burthensome to the inmates
of the house, you'll find no difficulty in leaving.
Among all the Ancient and Modern [added: cities] of the world perhaps
none were so well adapted [deleted: to the]in a point of convenience, to the wants of the aged and infirm, there being
but one apartment in each dwelling in which were
found all the necessaries for house cookery, with the couch
on which to rest the weary head, which was usually placed
upon the soft earth, and in the left corner of the
room was the clerk's desk at which all the business
of the family is transacted, these halls are large and
spacious while one person is occupying them, and
small and precious while six or seven, the usual
number in a family, were enjoying the luxuries of
their table.

Fashion was carried to a state of perfection among
the inhabitants of this place, our eastern cities may
boast of their fashionable ladies and gents, but must
not attempt to compete with this city of these latter

[Note: The last manuscript pages of this letter are missing.]