Letter, Simon Philbrick to his wife
Object number1998.055.34
DateSeptember 22, 1863
OriginLittle Rock, Arkansas
Mediumpaper, ink
DimensionsOverall: 9 1/8 x 7 7/8 in. (23.2 x 20 cm)
Credit LineOld State House Museum collection
Terms
Contents: Written by a Union soldier named Simon Philbrick describing Camp Little Rock.
Philbrick was a private in Co. A of the 18th Illinois Infantry. He enlisted on Aug. 15, 1862 in Murphysboro, IL and mustered out on Jul 8, 1865.
He was born Feb. 9, 1838 in Dubuque, Iowa. He died on Jan. 1, 1914 in Howard County Iowa and is buried in New Oregon Cemetery in Cresco, Howard County, Iowa.
Philbrick was apparently unable to write as this letter is written by W.M. Smith on behalf of Philbrick (according to the last page of the letter).
Camp near: Little Rock, Ark
Sept. 22, 1863
Dear and loving companion I againe [sic] take the time and pleasure to rite [sic] you a few lines to let you no [sic] that I received your kind letter on the {?} of this month and I was glad to hear that you and the children may all [be] well and this leaves me well at this time and I do hope and trust that this {?} some come to hand and find you and the children all well. I haven't got much time to rite [sic] much this time and I haven't got much to rite [sic] anyhow. We are campt [sic] in about one mile of Little Rock; the town is on the south side of the river and we are on the north side of the river. There is more Union men here than aney [sic] place that I have seen in the South. They are a comming [sic] in all the time and a taken [sic] the oath. There has came in several hundred of old Price's men and give them {?} {?} and taken the oath and they said that they didn't to want to [sic] to fight aney [sic] more for the Southeren [sic] Confederecy [sic]. Mite [sic] go for them and you can buy a Confederat [sic] scrip as you want for ten sents [sic] to the dollar. There has bin [sic] co. of home guards {?} up hear [sic] a reddy [sic] and I can sea [sic] {?} {?} in all the time and I think that the war is about don [sic] in this State aneyhow [sic]. {?} {?} over on the {?}. Little Rock is a pretey [sic] place and a pirtey [sic] large place to [sic]. It is on a high place above high water mark. We are camped in a nice place on the bank of the Ark River. The {?} {?} several {?} and one gun boat and several {?} on the railroad {?} and the Cary a {?} to Divalls Bluff. That is fifty miles from here on White River. We have had some cold weather. For the time a year this is good {?} country. The land is fine and they have got good corne [sic] here as I ever seen in my life aney [sic] place. The health of the co. is a getting better now. I think that sickley time is over now.
We had a warm time a marching here. We got in to Little Rock on the 10 day of September. The Cavlrey [sic] had a fight with the rebels before we got in Little Rock. They {?} the enemy about twenty miles and killing and wounding they went and capturing some prisoners [sic]. Well I will fetch my letter to a close by asking you to rite some and often. So good by for the present but still remaine [sic] ever your tru husband until death.
Simon Philbrick to Rasety Philbrick; Riten by W.M. Smith
Status
Not on view
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