This letter was written by 16 year-old James Reid (1847-1865), the son of James Reid (1805-1873) and Mary Herriman (1811-1864). I could not find an enlistment date for James but it appears that he enlisted as a private in Co. E, 76th Illinois Infantry, the same company as his older brother Mathew (1838-1907). The published company roster includes Mathew (under the name “Reed”) but it does not includes James’ name (even under the late-war recruits).
James died of typhoid fever at the Marine General Hospital in New Orleans on 31 March 1865. He was buried at the Chalmette National Historic Park in Louisiana (Grave 36-70).
The “Clara” mentioned in the letter was the 2 year-old daughter of Mathew B. Reid and Susan H. Williamson.
James wrote the letter to his cousin, Louisa M. Glaze (1847-1914), the daughter of Lemuel Glaze and Eleanor Reid. She was married in 1884 to Jasper Newton Barritt (1841-1905).
Transcription
Milford, [Iroquois county] Illinois
March the 7th 1862
Dear Cousin,
I am well at present. Father is some better now that he was when Uncle Robert & Daniel left here. Mother has been sick but she is around now. Clara is sick now. Wills Libbre died a few days after his Uncle Robert left here. The rest of the children are well.
It is reported that there is some small pox not very far from here. The times are pretty hard. Corn 9 cents per bushel 3 miles from here.
I suppose there has been a pretty hard fought battle on the Cumberland river [see Battle of Fort Donelson] if all accounts be true and the Union got killed by the hundred. I had several friends in the battle. One of the boys that went from here got shot in the back of his head but the ball glanced off and took a piece of the meat. It knocked him down. They belong to the 20th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Company I, Col. C[harles] C[arroll] Marsh. There was another in the same company by the name of J. Leads [Joseph Leeds] got wounded too that I knowed.
Later Sunday, 1862
I received a letter from Frank Reid yesterday evening. This is the day of rest but we are not resting much. Father is busy spitting and is busy reading the news & I am busy writing. It is pretty gloomy out of doors today. It is raining and blowing. Now it begins to rain. It quits now. I can’t hardly think of anything to write for looking out of the window. The roads are getting pretty muddy. It is bad wheeling. An empty wagon is about enough for two horses to carry me around.
School is over. I haven’t went more than half of the time. When Mother was sick I had to stay at home and act a chief cook & bottle washer for a week or two. I studied Arithmetic, Grammar, Reading, Writing & Geography. We had an old man for a teacher and I have had enough old men teachers.
To what regiment do the boys from your neighborhood belong? Jo. Thomas went to war in the 51st Regiment Ill. Vols. but he didn’t stay. The war is about all that attracts the peoples’ minds hear now. I am in hopes of a speedy termination of the war.
Write soon. Yours &c. — James Reid, Jr.
[to] L. M. Glaze
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