Misc: Letter: Samuel Lynn to Margaret Lynn, 1865: Washington/Fayette County Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by M Burns. mburns@tea-house.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ Letter from Samuel Lynn (son of Samuel Lynn m Elizabeth McCormick) to Margaret Lynn (dau of Samuel Lynn m Mary Gibson) Letter postmarked Earlville, Ill February 18 Addressed to Miss Margaret L Lynn, Millsboro, Washington Co, Pa Letter reads: Earlville February 15th, 1865 Dear Sister, I again seat myself after a long delay to answer your very welcome letter. I hope you will excuse me for my negligence. Your letter came to hand in due time. I also received my first letter from Carrie which I was happy to receive. I hope she may write oftener. I am happy to learn that you have gotten a No 1 Certificate and are getting good wages for teaching. I feel quite proud to know that I have a Sister in possession of a good education. It is better than riches. If I had my life to live over again, I would employ my time differently from what I did in my boyhood while going to school. For what is life without knowledge? The more a person knows the more they know the value of an education. I was offered forty dollars per month this winter to teach school. I would not accept the offer as I was afraid I could not both teach and do the collecting of taxes of this town. The office paid me something over one hundred dollars. I commenced collecting the middle of December and have just finished, taking me about two months. My stump has not bothered me since last August. I expect to have an artificial foot in course of a month or two. Oh how glad I will be when I will be able to walk without crutches, although I have got so used to walking with crutches it seems like no great hardship. My health is tolerable good but not quite so good as previous to losing a limb. I think I have been lucky to come off with my life to have met with as many accidents as I have. About two months ago I took a horse and sleigh and went out to Mendota (about eight miles distant) for cousin Lizzie A Poundstone who was going to school there. My horse was very fractious and as we were in the night getting back and could not very well see the road, we upset. The horse took fright and ran. I held onto the lines until he dragged me some five or six rods when the sleigh struck me knocking me almost senseless when I let him go. He ran about half a mile to a schoolhouse when the boys at singing school there stopped him but the sleigh was so broken that I had to get another team to get home. I soon got over my shock and thought I was not much hurt, but the next morning I could scarcely get out of my bed. I did not fully recover for two or three weeks. Lizzie escaped unhurt. The Methodists have had quite a revival here in Earlville getting in all about eighty new converts. The meeting commenced the first of January and is still holding on. Mr Gross (?) is the name of the minister. A greater part of the time he had no one to assist him. His friends made him a donation a few nights since donating him between five and six hundred dollars. He deserves it as he gets but a small salary and has labored very hard for the salvation of souls. He is very zealous in the cause of Christianity and is a man of rare talents. I think he is just such a man as is needed here. You wish to know how much it will cost to get a likeness taken of Father's here. I do not know it makes no difference. If I have a chance of getting it taken off I will do it and pay for it and send it to you. They do not take very good pictures here in Earl. And I have not been to Ottawa since you wrote me last. You also wished me to send you my photograph. I have had none taken since a short time after I came home from the Army. They are very homely however I will send you one. And I can send you another when I get more taken if they are any better. I want you to write soon and send me yours and Carrie's. You ask where I make my home. I make my home since Daniel died with Mary Ann (the widow). I do not know how long I shall be here. I presume I will make my home here until I get my foot, when I will try and get in some kind of business. The citizens of Earlville are trying to get me the Post Office. A large majority wish me to get it. It lies altogether with Burton C Cook, our Congressman from this district. He has the power to give it to whom he has a mind to after the 4th of March. But he should go according to the wish of the people. I understand it pays about a thousand dollars a year. I will quietly wait for the result. Carrie says Aunt Henrietta asks if I like potato soup yet. Tell her I am just as fond of it as ever. I wish I was back there to have a mess of potato soup with all of you once more. Perhaps I will pay a visit before another year goes by. I will close hoping these few lines will find you all well. Give my love to Carrie and Mother and Aunt Henrietta and all enquiring friends. Your Affectionate Brother, Please write soon. Samuel Lynn