1864: Peter Fletcher Thornburgh to his Parents

Peter F. Thornburgh, Co. D, 124th Indiana

This letter was written by 38 year-old Peter Fletcher Thornburgh (1825-1912), the son of Benjamin Thornburgh (1797-1883) and Susan Minical (1797-1876) of Morgan county, Indiana. Peter was married to Maria McCreery (1826-1876) in 1847. In the 1850s Peter worked as a construction carpenter but when he enrolled for the draft in 1863 in Decatur, Marion county, Indiana, he was employed as a physician. He received a license to practice Allopathic Medicine in Illinois and moved to Martinsville, Illinois sometime prior to the 1870 US Census. At some point in his civilian career, Peter was also employed as a Methodist clergyman.

Peter was enrolled in Co. D, 124th Indiana Infantry on 2 January 1864. This regiment participated in the Atlanta Campaign as part of the 23rd Army Corps but we learn from Peter’s letter that he was detached from his regiment. Most likely he became ill from the rigors of the campaign, was sent to the Cumberland hospital at Nashville where he partially recovered his health, and then was put to work as post master for the hospital. He was discharged on 10 January 1865 after one year’s service.

[Acknowledgement: My thanks to Annaliese Vonheeringen for preparing the first draft of this transcription.]

Transcription

Cumberland Hospital 
July 3rd 1864

My Dear Father & Mother, 

It has been so long since I have heard from you that I conclude to write again to inform you that I am still alive and enjoying pretty good health. In fact with the exception of nervous headache occasionally, I enjoy as good health for the last ten days as I do in general better than I expected sometime since. I am kept very busy all the time from early morn to late at evening attending to the Post Office, but the labor is not very hard and it is a very pleasant place and I suppose I will be kept at it as long as remain here which is very uncertain at this time. You can form some idea of the amount of mail matter we have to attend to when I tell you that we handle about fifteen hundred letters every day coming in and going out of the Hospital. So what writing I do for myself I have to do very early in the morning.

So if you were to look into the Christian Commission tent this good sabbath morning you would find me all alone writing to my kind Father and Mother that I love so well. I know you love me with all the love of a parent’s heart and I know you will love me until death and after death—the bond will not be broken. I think that my family have the kindest of feelings towards me and now when I am so far from you all, it does me good to think that no act of mine or of any of the family has ever estranged our heart from each other. And I have this to comfort me—that I never in all my life gave you one improper word to wound your feelings that I can remember. Whatever other wrongs I may have done, I have kept inviolate the command, honor thy Father and Mother, and I am amply rewarded in the assurance that their prayers are always with me as a mighty bulwark of defense.

And now I look forward with pleasing anticipation to the time when I shall see you again for I have a strong hope that I shall be permitted to return home in good time and enjoy the society of the loved at home. But if not, the stream that will divide us is not wide nor the time long and the waiting on the other side will be pleasant.

I received a kind letter the other day from Jennie bearing some coronation pinks that yet smell sweetly. Now you do not know how happy they made me feel. You ought to see some of her letters to me; they are so affectionate and kind and do my poor heart so much good. God bless my children. I hope you will go and see them before long and encourage them to be good while I am away from home.  They were all well once week since.

Now I want to hear from you just as often as possible. I know you cannot well write but Mollie can and she must write for you. I am looking for a letter from her now. But the duties of the day calls and I must close my letter to you hoping soon to hear from you and that you are still improving in health and happiness. Give my kind regards to Aunt Nancy and all the friends who may enquire after me. Write soon and don’t forget to pray for your affectionate son, — P. F Thornburgh

Cumberland Hospital, Nashville Tenn.

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