Rye - April 16/ 65
Sabbath. P.M.
My Dear Warren
O dear what
dreadful news we have had - Mr. Lincoln
dead! assasinated too -how dark it
looks - why was that villin permited
to slay so good a man where can we
ever get his equal - not in the whole
world - how beautifuly his character
shines forth now - many things we
hardly thought of in the troublesome
times past - stand forth now for
us to admire - I dread the times to come
fearing Johnson may easily mount
from the right course - I think many
fear he was not entirely ignorant of the
plan to get Mr. Lincoln out of the way
and how dreadful the affrays at Mr Seward
house - he sick and helpless in bed
his attendants unarmed & I hope he
[Editors Note: Along the top of the page, continued from the back]
I got sent your
letter up Monday
morning. George Walk-
er took it in his pocket
as I didn't get to the P.O.
till the mail was done up.
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will live things will go on nearer
as Mr Lincoln would have them had
he lived - it is enough to know they
fear his influence and tried to destroy
his life-I went to Portsmouth early yesterday
morning just as the news of his death came.
I never saw so much excitement - the
bells were tolled, the flags half-mast
the stores closed. I brought the news
home and your father had
the bell tolled an hour - in the afternoon.
The men assembled and got a line
fixed on the liberty pole (you know it was stolen) and
tomorrow we are to trim the flag with
black cambrie and have it up
half mast - many men in Portsmouth
shed tears - I went into Hams after Dr.
watch - there were 8 or 10 standing around
him listening to the account he read of the
tragedy - I stood there and cryed with the
rest - I got your cloth cut and at
night - your father carried it down to
Miss Powers and she will do it this week.
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I will send it up Friday or Saturday
night if she can tell me in season
when they will be done. I will write
but if not you had better be at
the cars Friday night - if not there -
come the next night.
I hope they will fit good - I think
you had better put on your other clothes -
now it is so warm - if you get them
Friday write me the next morn mail -
if Saturday write for Monday morning -
I am sorry Aunt Eliza is sick-I hope
she will keep up good courage -
and poor little George Warren sick
too - I hope he will have the measles
light - glad to hear your Uncle
Saml, children are so much better -
how is Grandpa Gove this spring -
I hope he is smart and bright -
You must help Grandma all you can
I am very glad to hear from Uncle G.
tell Grandma I hope she won't worry
about George as she did when in the
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army -I can't bear to think she will -
I want her to keep going a long time
I don't think I can come up
I have had just as much I could
possibly do all winter to bring my
weeks work around - no time to make or
do anything extra - So my spring
sewing and everything is behind hard
I expect Emma the last of the week to
help clean house. I hope it will be pleasant
I have felt so gloomy yesterday and today
but this evening there is a bright glimmer
it came into my mind - why so sad when
I ought to feel thankful Gen. Grant escaped
for it is no doubt he would have been
murdered to if there - O dear what at a different
time. I am afraid Sherman Sheridan &
will be assassinated too -
Anna Decatur is well as are us all her
front teeth haven't appeared yet - I hope
they will soon -
Morris Drake has just been in and
had an had a large tooth extracted.
Good bye - I hope you will get along
well - I am afraid your clothes look too
bad to wear to school. Wear the others.
Yours truly
Julia AP