Family History: Letter from Capt. Theodore Thornton Woollens to Thomas Earp 
Woollens (1863): Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Terry Mossop.

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NOTE:  Theodore was the son of Jesse Woollens & Margaret Thornton who settled on 
the Little Elk Creek in East Nottingham circa 1813. Theodore Thornton was 
b.5/2/1827, he married Ruth Ann Taylor 6/3/1847. When he was drafted into the 
175th. Pa. Inf. for a term of 9 months he had a farm & mill on the Little Elk 
Creek ,a wife and four small children and was 35 yr. old. He was elected Captain 
in Co. E by his men. The letters were written back home to his brother Thomas 
Earp Woollens
   Theodore also had a sister Margaret who married Joseph Wherry and there 
daughter Mary Eva Wherry who  married Ulysses Grant Bye, which are the three 
family branches in East Nottingham that my wife decends from.
   Theodore Thornton Woollens died in 1903 and is buried with his wife Ruth in 
the Oxford Cemetery, Oxford Pa.

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April 30th, 1863
Hills Point, North Carolina

Dear Brother,
	I have been waiting patiently for news from Little Elk, I have not heard 
from there since the last of March, then I received a few lines from father 
enclosed in a letter from Ruth, I have written three letters to you in March and 
the commencement of April but have received no answer to any of them, I was 
sorry to learn by one of Ruth’s letters you had advanced so much money on my 
account, but I am happy to add I have since been paid, and have expended the 
money to Ruth with instructions to her (if no better way was at hand) to deposit 
the money in West Chester Bank and send you a blank check telling you in the 
accompanying letter to fill it up to make us square also to add forty dollars I 
wanted paid to the family of James H. Boyd.  I knew you could get the check 
cashed at Oxford.  Ruth wrote father was going to send a check for fifty 
dollars, I was expecting it everyday when I ______ my pay home and left myself 
rather bare but will perhaps have enough to do me if we are paid soon again!  I 
would much like to hear from you and father!  If he had no money for me tell him 
I would like to hear from him and mother and if I am a hundred and more dollars 
in your debt I am still just as anxious to hear from you!  I would very much 
like to know if Lint Stephers has been man enough to pay you and if you have had 
much trouble with my bills generally!  I have received several letters from Ruth 
written since the first of April one as late as the 16th.  At that time there 
seems to have been much bad news concerning our welfare floating through the 
county.
	I hope by this time you have______ not to believe all newspaper reports 
and that you are not uneasy about us.  I expect you have heard I was sick with 
Gutermitt___ fever, I wrote to pap one day when I thought I was getting better 
but it seems to me I had a long spell of it, for nearly three weeks I had no 
appetite nothing tasted natural everything bitter, water I could not bear, it 
tasted little better than salts, I drank lemonade awhile when it became 
disagreeable I commenced on coffee and teas, I had table sage and thyme teas and 
as I got tired of one I choose another the variety holding out till I could 
drink water again, I am well now only needing time to gain strength and flesh of 
which I lost considerable, the fever has left me and my appetite has returned to 
me and I feel I will gain both flesh and strength rapidly.  I flattered myself I 
was proof against disease but the doctor tells me it is a Malaria going through 
the air which is about as likely to take hold of the strong as the weak.  I must 
give a description of our present location and the news in general, I expect you 
have heard of our departure from Newbern for Little Washington, N.C. that much 
at least of the many rumors is true, we left Newbern on the morning of the 23rd 
April and……  
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