Allen, William B. (fl. 1834-1880) to Mary Mayberry
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02829.13 Author/Creator: Allen, William B. (fl. 1834-1880) Place Written: Aboard USS Resolute off Windmill Point at St. Mary's, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 2 August 1863 Pagination: 2 p. ; 25 x 19.8 cm. Order a Copy
Says he is lonesome and received a letter from Mary yesterday, the first letter he received since he left New York. Notes that she was traveling up to the country. Says there is great sporting in Maryland -- fishing, crabbing, and oystering. Says fruit is abundant here too -- peaches, pears, apples, and plums. Has gone up the Potomac River from the mouth to Washington, DC. Says at Point Lookout, Maryland where "they have 15,000 Reble [sic] Prisoners ther [sic] and they ar [sic] as happy as can be." Says he has been having easy times and goes sailing and fishing often and "take a darkey with me and get a good rubbing down with a corse towl [sic] and I can tell you I feel the good effect of it." Says he thinks often of his family. Sends greetings to his family and says he misses home. Wants her to "Know I am almost as some of the Contrabands a board[.] I have been running in the sun so much."
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