The Civil War Letters of Aaron Jones Fletcher

 

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Letter dated November 13, 1862 from George P. Paul, nephew, Eliot, Maine, to Aaron Jones Fletcher

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Eliot Nov. 13/62

Dear Friend
You see the fact is I have got a
lame paw consequently have got the time and
opportunity to write to you. I wrote once before but
I suppose you did not get it as I received no answer
but that is not worth mentioning for I know you would
have written had you got it, that was four or five months
ago and I have neglected to write again untill now,
there is not much news and I only write to let you know
that I have not forgotten you. How do you like your
new trade  not very new though, I shouldnt fancy shooting
the “damned rebels” as the “damned “blacks” call them.
Shooting sticks wouldn’t be in very great demand if I
had to subdue them, Compromise is the thing my boy
you have undertaken a long bloody and costly job in
attempting to whip them into the Union, and Old
Abe and all his ghostly crew will feel like the boy
that shit himself before they e’er get this through. ‘’Shah” [pshaw]
I think you have stood a darned good chance so far
an I hope you’ll live till you get home, by gar
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[p.2]
Have you heard the news from the elections? Don’t you
come back a black republican, New York last year gave
the Blacks 107,000 majority.  this year it gives the Dem.
candidate for governor 10,000 majority, making a change
of 117,000 votes this year, Horatio Seymour is elected Gov.
“Three Cheers!!!” besides Ohio has gone Democratic by 8 or 10,000
also, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey,
Delaware, an some others, making a grand Democratic
Victory  worth thousands of dollars to this divided country
It would do more towards restoring peace if the states were
all democratic, than all of the troops now in the field,
or all that could be got into it in 25 years, How do
you suppose you are going to conquer the South when you
are in doubts whether Washington is safe or not.
A few weeks ago Lincoln issued an emancipation
proclamation, how is that going to help Union cause
It goes into effect in January, why didn’t it go into effect
when he issued it, because he thought, I suppose, the army
would revolt, If you see Abe why wont you pop him over
for me, he is a regular nuisance, Work is pretty dull
here, I tell you, but I shall not enlist I tell you, not
this winter certainly, The country is not in debt much is it,
only 2,000,000,000 dollars, quite a small sum eh?  Do you
recollect Lyman Spinney who went down to the harbor
with us? well, he is off to sea, he went in the Kearsage
from this yard nearly a year ago, and he is about sick
of drifting about the Atlantic, his vessel went after the

 

[p.3]
Sumter, then the Nashville and now he is after the
290, or the Alabama, she is sometimes called, she was
within 150 miles of Boston a few day ago and burned
six vessels, she is a ripper I tell you, she takes them
‘fore and aft’ the hill clear, she has destroyed a
number of whales lately, Daniel [illegible] and I were up
to Boston in Sept and called where Elisa lived
but she had gone to Lowell, She was down here
in June, I suppose you have heard before though.
I have been to work some, over to Newington this
summer, I have been over there to day, but cut my
hand so that I couldn’t use it to do anything. The
Squire has bought a farm over there, opposite Lyman
Spinney’s.  He is going to sell his place here and Father
has bought his part of the pasture, about 2 acres, and
is going to make a field of a part of it. It is now almost
winter. we had a snow storm on the 7th and it isn’t all gone
yet. We have some very windy days now, I was going
across the rive r and I came very near being swamped
it was somewhat rougher than it is on your pond when
we tried to have a sail in that splendid flat boat,
I should have said tub or mortar pen, But this is not news.
The folks are all well and send their love. I have nothing
more to write so I will close by wishing you good bye.
More anon. Write soon. Yours with love
George P. Paul

A.J. Fletcher Esq