Augusta County: George S. Schreckhise to James M.
Schreckhise, January 5, 1863
Summary:
George Schreckhise writes to his son James about his mother's illness, the
impressment of his slaves, and other news from home including smallpox. He also
talks about purchasing a substitute for his son Daniel.
Jenurary the 5 1863
Der Son
I now sit down to anser your letter of the 13 and 15
wich I receve on Chrismas eve and I was glad to hare from you and that you ware
wel thank god we are all wel but
grandmother is not sow
wel as she youst to be She cant
ete as harty as wen you ware at home She is not to
say sick but naturly
wore out with old age She can skersly get to the table enny more I think
she wil
natherly die with old age the rest of the frends are all wel as far as I
now of non
doun at chrismas
exept
unkele Jacob [unclear: Joseph]. I had a lonsom
chrismas not like the chrismas we youst to have. now body seem to injoy
chrismas but the blacks thay had partys all round and myne have bin frolicking al the time til to today. [unclear: Lonis] is goning to Richmond with 250 others from this county to
werk on the fortofecton
[page 2]
for too month a
round Richmond I hope that thay
want
nede them. I think the yankes
ware
whip too bad at fredericksburge to trye to get to Richmond
agane. I sopose you
wil
se
thay have bin
wers
whip in tensse
sens it is sed
thay have got the werst whip of
all sense the war comenst
I hope thay
wil
son stop this unnatterl war
non of our freds or nabers were cild at the
fite at Fredericksburg we have a mity
drye winter sow far and warm we
only had 8 or 10 days very cold wether yet it was
very cold and the snow was about too
inchis
depe it jest
dride up did not wet the ground enny the ise was 4 ore 5
inches thick then it all of a sudint got warm and
drye as sudint changes as
ware you are Rit is a drye winter the rodes are as solid
as in somere
[page 3]
and dusty the gran
felds look like fallow ground dont
lok
grene like last yere good meny
peple
cold not plow this fal
sow
thare is not as much sedid as
wold
of
bin. I [unclear: rode] out as yous
[unclear: hel] I stil have my whete
som 350 or 400 hundred busels
whete is fror 3 to 4 dolars per bushes
cor a bout the same and every thing in perpotion the 6 I now wil
close my letter we today cild our bef it commenst to rane but it has quit agane we have a gradel of clowdy
wether but little rane the
boys harde
hevin
caninadin this moring
in the directin of Fredericksburg. Daniel
armin is stil not wel the baul
stil in he is poltisin it
it is opin now on the opposit side. I think it wil
com out but it ma be som time yet som little of the
paching came out today and he vacinatid himself his arm is quite sore from it the
smalpox is about Staunton peple are all
[page 4]
vaxinatin
for the cind pox it makes Daniel rite sick you wantid to now
wat I had to give for Daniels substue. I had to give a big prise I gave
the [unclear: coly]
toun property and thre
hunderd dollars cash money a pers to be no obgect I got shuch a substitue that thare
wil be now
disspute about a grate
menny of the peple
wel have a good del of trube about thare substitutes
Som
wil have to gow themselves or get
a nother one a gane as
thare was a grate
del of defraud practise it
wold
bin better from ferst that
now
feriner had bin
[unclear: cakeing] for thay all run of
wat day you have to pay for your bord now and day you get your pay if I had of noing you nedeid
enny money I cold of sent som to you with Mr Slie. I sertanly
wold
com out if I cold
leve grandmother for I wold
like to se that contry god
only nose
wat may happin this yer
wich we just have enterd in
I wis you a happy new yere
grate
posterity in your cays in
day good for aur
feller men give my res to
Mr. Slie and all So I must close
your farther
G Schreckhise
rite son
