Saturday, April 13, 2019

"A woman gave me a Bed Quilt the other day"

Quilt dated 1862 from the Dutton-Steers families, Virginia

A letter sold on an online auction a while ago was from a Union prisoner of war from New York. He  had lovely penmanship, creative spelling and a sad tale from prisons in Virginia:

Belle Isle is an island in the river outside Richmond where Union
prisoners were housed in tents.
"October 21 1862.

Camp P? Prisoners Near Elexandery Virginia
My dear Grandmother. I write these few lines to you hoping it find you as well as ever. I am just recovering My health. 6 weeks ago I walked Anopilas streets Maryland with a cane. But now I throwed that a side and begin to look like my self. I had come from that enfurnal hole called Bellislands Richmond there was about five thousand in all. We was hardest looking lot of boys....

.
"We all got new clothes Blanketts and a'int had one in 2 months,
Each of these simple pieced quilts is dated 1862
A woman gave me a Bed Quilt the other day. The blanketts aint come yet a third of us is with out blankets. We seen hard times since we left york State. We get plenty to eat heare. What they going to do with [us] I dont now. We look like so many Criminals We took the oath not to take up arms against Southern Confedrancy....


5 comments:

Cheryl K. said...

"Camp of Paroled Prisoners" for the top line :-)

Susan said...

Lovely letter, wonderful quilts, and a heart-touching letter home. I'm so appreciative of your position in quilt history that you come across, or have access to, so much wonderful history and that you share it.

Barbara Brackman said...

stumble upon, susan.

Judy said...

Love these posts. I’m glad they were taken care of with food and blankets. War is so terrible, and the civil war, fighting with our own countrymen, was the worst.

Susie H said...

What a touching post. Love that gold quilt at the top.