Letter from Addison Lyman on taxes, Thanksgiving, his birthday, and the Civil War

Title

Letter from Addison Lyman on taxes, Thanksgiving, his birthday, and the Civil War

Description

Letter from Addison Lyman to his brother, Reverend Horace Lyman. He discusses getting tax money from his brother, family health, receiving clothes on Thanksgiving, the Civil War, and his fiftieth birthday.

Creator

Lyman, Addison

Is Part Of

Lyman Family Papers

Language

English

Identifier

PUA_MS31_36_e

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Source

Pacific University Archives

Format

Letter

Type

Text

Other Media

Sheffield Bureau Co. [?] Dec. 2/63

Dear brother Horace,

It is a long time since I have either received a letter from you or written one. If my recollection is correct I answered the last letter I received from you. This is my habit and I think I did this after receiving your last letter.

I am now part in mind of the importance of writing you from a recollection that the time for paying taxes is at hand and I shall need the [?] to pay the taxes on your part [?] [?] will those of others. I gave you a statement as I believe of the amount I paid for you last year. The taxes Federal State our [?] [?] were $15.17 You were included to me on previous yr. 1.25

Memphis Gazette 2.00
$16.42
Cash from you 15.00
balance due me 1.42

Whether the taxes this year will be more or less I am not now aware. If you send me from 15 to 20 dollars I presume will cover the whole. If you could readily send in the form of a draft payable in N.Y. to my order it would be more [?] for you than to send treasury rates I know not whether you have the facility for doing so or not.

We are all in comfortable health though your sister Catherine has not been really well for three or four months I may perhaps say six. She is in feeble health and somewhat afflicted with nervousness and consequent [?]. She is however better in health now than two or three months since. The rest of the family are in comfortable health. Emily has been afflicted a few days with a severe cold and has been quite unwell, though she has continued about the house. Elbert has been unwell some [?] all for a month past he has been in a telegraph office making an effort to learn to telegraph. Last week as you know was Thanksgiving week. We received a box well filled with clothing on Monday from Oswego N.Y. with some $150, + on Thanksgiving day a family from Worcester Mass. continuing over $40 worth of clothes and the remainder of the barrel stuffed with ready made clothing. You may be sure in a family like ours with eight children such arrivals are thankfully received. It was a week of Thanksgiving I assure you with us. We had not anticipated but one gift of this sort and were not [?] for receiving two since we were not soon asked whether we would have the present from Oswego. I suppose it was through one of the secretaries at N.Y. that we had this box The barrel came through the [?] Missionary a [?] at Chicago. Rev. J.E. Roy.

Friday Morn. Dec. 4. Yesterday as you recollect is my birthday. Fifty years old. - a half century. I have seen childhood youth and the full maturity and now have come to the point in which whether [?] it or not there is the decline of life. Probably more than two thirds of my life have gone never to return. May my remaining days be [?] really respect [?] those which have passed. To-day is the anniversary of our second marriage sixteen years ago. Many and great favors have we received as a family since our marriage. Comparatively little sickness we have had as a family though we have had been entirely exempt but death has [?] entrust into our windows. We have not been called upon to bury any of our number in the grave. Mrs. L, as before womankind, has not been well for [?] months although she keeps about the house, yet her health is quite poor. Some of the children are now [?] sick with colds [?] then Addison quite so.

The love of all the family [?] [?] to you and yours We are all encouraged by the progress of the war in Tennessee. We hope the Rebellion is soon to be crushed. Please write immediately. You brother. A. Lyman

Rev. Horace L
Belchertown Mall.