Letters Home: H.L. Brush to his son Charles

In our last post, 1st Lt. William Brush wrote to his brother Charles. Towards the beginning of the letter, written on March 28th, 1863, he mentions, “…my health was never better in the world.”

In this letter, written just two weeks later, from the Brush brothers’ father H.L. to Charles, H.L. writes of William, “…I fear he is very sick.” The whole of H.L.’s letter to Charles is below. What will become of young William Brush?

Ottawa Apl 10th / 63

Dear Charles

Yours 5th & 6th was recd todays mail

and we were very glad to hear that you was well, sorry the

old mare has taken to her tricks & ran away, if she comes up

this way I will advertise her, Same mail brot letter from

William of 9th They had been out on drill & he was taken with

a chill, & hot at same time, he had two days before wrote

that he had a cold, says he was very hoarse, and to day

I recd dispatch that he was sick typhoid fever, & to come

up tonights train as the Regmt. was under marching

orders to leave tomorrow, I am all ready now 11 P.M to take

the 1 oclk train , I fear he is very sick but know nothing

further, he is very ambitious, has had a great deal to do, &

much to trouble him, he writes that he would not have

had it happened for any thing, but so it is, will write you

from Chicago—I think that the Negro Regmts, will be

ordered into the most sickly part of the country, and if only

about one in about ten are good for any thing, they will prove very

unreliable, always brot up to obey & fear their masters, they

will be very likely to fly from their bayonets, I would not

accept a Brig. Genl Commission in such a Regmt with the

Presidents salary, but men differ. Capt. Bill Strawn

told me yesterday he had a notion to get one, & that Collins

had proposed to join him, but he remarked that the depart-

ment was overun with applications from officers for higher

positions in such Regimts, Luke is with us & can manage

things very well I think, I hope to be able to bring William

down on a cot, but fear I cannot for several weeks.

The Officers except for Collins were unwilling to leave, so soon

as many of the men are sick and absent, whereas the

65th Scotch Regmt. are all in readiness but Coln Moon

writes that through wire pulling they have been

favored, he says that Genl Ammen is an Ohioan & is

prejudiced against the 104th because I suppose they

fought well at Hartsville, while the Ohio Boys run

without discharging their guns, As mother will finish

this letter and I must go to the cars I will say good night

don’t send up any money, use it for yourself I do

not want it, we have planted out quite a large patch

of Wilsons Albany Seedling Strawberries they are not bad to take

with Sugar & Cream, wish we could send you some, but

of Wilsons Albany Seedling Strawberries they are not bad to take

I suppose the South produces other as desirable fruits

which will not mature up here north—Affty yr Father

H. L. Brush

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