Mary (Chapin) Burt - May(?) 1865 - Phelps, IN

[NOTE: This letter was written relatively soon after the Lincoln assassination and the death of John Wilkes Booth, likely in May or June of 1865.]

Dear Ones at Home,

I expect you [torn] that I am buried in the woods where noth-ing can reach me, neither can I send any thing away. I do live in the woods but not so far but what I can both send away and receive letters. Your letter received long ago containing Mother’s Photo -

I am ashamed to say remains unanswer-ed but since I have lived here I have so much to do that I scarcely have time for any thing. We are now living at Phelps. Have to board the hands making our family number at present 16?, and expect to have more. My health is not quite so good as it was last summer the heat seems to make me feel lazy and a sluggish spirit has taken possess-ion of me. There is nothing here that is interesting to write about. there is nothing around here but the woods, the saw mill and the cars passing every day. The music of the frogs is very common and the musqui-toes take great delight in coming in squads [torn] well known voice to give us a nip now & then which (by the way) is not very palatable. Lizzie has gone to Delphos O. to go to school this sum-mer. There is school here such as it is but not a very good one. Aunt Josey lives there at Delphos. She has a boy named John Foghl-Brown. They are keeping a [illegible] & Provision Store. I suppose I can now say that the war is over and the Confederacy ended in petticoats. The nation has also been called to mourn the death of our President. The assassin has met his doom. What a contrast between the burial of the murderer and the murdered

You are soon expecting Oscar at home if not already there. He did not answer my last letter and I have not learned where he is or how he was getting along. I expect you will all feel like celebrating the Fourth this year. You are engaged in the farming business again this season are you not? (A Yankee question)

The bugs have made sad [illegible] the vines & cabbage beets &c. in our garden. I have tried to conquer them but have not yet succeeded. Leonora & Willie have grown some larger since they was out here, but I do not expect they have improved accordingly. O, you can not imagine how lonesome I am and if I don’t write it is not because I don’t think of you or wish I could get a letter from you. I have neglected to write so long that when I have a moments time it seems as though I cannot take a pen in hand. We have been blessed with good showers which makes vegetation start up and grow nicely. Tommy is still at work at the sawmill. He has a large contract of sawing lumber for the street pavement in Ft. Wayne, 300,000 ft. which will take him until next Sept. to get completed.

I have been looking for Father out here but I suppose because I have not written to him he thinks I do not wish to see him. I thought I would answer just as soon as I received your letter and tell him I should be looking for him but “Time has flown and still I have proved delinquent. I wish Father would send his Photo, now. I would like to have the childrens’ too. When I get able will send you the children in return. Cousin Edward sent his Photo and a book of the Chapin Geneology. I think it was quite a nice present. Mahala sent me her Photo. It looks as though she had not grown old as fast as I have. Tommy joins in love to you all. Kiss Maggie for me. Nora & Willie send love to all. Good night

yours aff.

M. L. Burt

(The musquitoes are biting me so bad that I do not know what to do.)