History/Letters: from Isaac Murrell to Lou Eddins August 5 1864; Claiborne & Webster par., Louisiana File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Bonde lbonde@bluemarble.net November 10, 2004, 8:06 pm ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Letter from Isaac Murrell to Lou Eddins Minden August 5th 1864 Dear Lou; Your letter 16th ult came this morning. I was truly glas as I ever am to hear from you and to know you all now have good health and no misfortune has happened in the family. It is very different with us. I have mentioned before the death of our little Sallie, Stephen Butler and his sister, Brother Joel’s wife. To multiply these hopes, I must now mention our little Anna Lee rests quietly by her older sister and her little brother who never knew the lights of day. You speak of Anna Lee’s sickness. I believe she was sick for precisely eleven weeks and died on the 1st day and hour of this month. I wish you could have seen her. She was a show and curiosity. You cannot conceive how poor and weak she got. Still how well her eyes looked and how she knew everything to the last moments. She gradually sunk from teething. No medical skill could check the steady course of her stubborn disease (disentary) . She never had fever, nor did she seem to suffer a great deal but she gradually sunk form the first just as flowers fade in the vase on your center table. Becky takes it very hard. To think, on the 1st March, we looked forward to now in joy the happiness of six beautiful little children! And now we only have three! Rebecca was confined on the 25th of July. For want of skill her little boy, the finest largest child she ever had died, and for some time I thought of nothing else, but to repeat the sad calamity I had once experienced. “Becky, the mother and son in the same grave” but heaven smiled and Rebecca is doing well now. Three little mounds tell the sad story of our little children. Mr. Butler is getting about. I think she will now get well. Benie has had measles and got well. The negroes now have it very bad in the family. Also in Oliver’s family. Fannie had them very hard yesterday. I believe Mrs. Butler’s bad health is much dependent upon her anxiety for her son, John. He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness in the left wrist and right breast, took prisoner and the company very much fears died. John S. Williams wrote to his mother a few days before he was wounded and captured that one of their regiment, a reliable man, who was captured and wounded at Gettysburg, told him (William) that he was in the Yankees hospital with Perry, that Perry was wounded on the 2nd July and died there I look upon it as the most plausible story that has been told and as it as been supported so long by his absence, I think this is about the settled history of that gallant, true and patriotic spirit. I have looked for the end of the war with some confidence at the approach of the next presidential administration. I have thought all the Yankees would now be employed in electioneering, but as the election approaches, I see less division among them. I think Lincoln will not be reelected easily, and there will be no end to the war for some time yet, not do I believe it will end until foreign intervention is made. Then we will have to submit to dictations of foreign nations. This I think will be ruinous to slavery, but it will be in all probability the best we can do. I long ago said in one of my letters they were able to make every house in the south an orphans home. I still believe it but I think they will be interfered with by other nations before they quite do it. And we will have an independent republic. My love to all. Isaac Murrell Mother has had one or two spells of cholermobis—is well now. Lucinda is at my house now. Came down on Monday. She will o home today. All well at plantation. Mat Smith is here. Wants to see you mightily. Lee Ann is doing a large business entertaining soldiers, etc. Writes as many letters to soldiers as Lucinda ever did. She went home a week before school examinations. Wouldn’t examined as usual. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb