Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, June 21, 1862

Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, June 21, 1862

Capers writes from the Citadel where he admits to not feeling well. He visits their garden and plucks some leaves to send to her. He talks about how much he loves her and their deceased daughter, Kate, and he visits her grave. He tells her that he will send her $200 but is then advised against it and will have a Major White deposit it in the bank for her.

A1961.1, Box 2, Folder 50

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Ellison Capers Collection

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English

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https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/474

[Page 1]
Saturday Evening
June 21st 1862

At the Citadel, my own angel, and with a heart full of mingled sadness & hope, I take my pen to write you a few lines. I was too unwell to undress, the fatigue of picket duty today & tonight, so I took a seat in Bowies Buggy, & spent the day here. I got you a gallon of the best brandy, for which I paid $12.00. The freight to Florence, I also paid. When you get back to Mr. Rogers, send to the Florence Depot for a box, marked to you to the care of Mr. Rogers. I dined at Lady’s. She is very [illegible] on the road to Florida, & full of all sorts of stories of the soldiers. I went to see Marion King at the hospital, & saw him moved to Miss [illegible]. He has a painful flesh wound in the side, not serious. After dinner I rode up to the causeway, my darling, and found our little garden where we [illegible words] immortal darling, all overgrown with grass. I looked in vain for a sweet violet for you my angel & I plucked a few leaves from the little plant near your shell cross & send them to you. I pulled the grass from around and on the grave, & paid a man to have it all pulled up. The river looked lovely & the still air & the sweet [illegible] & flowers, & the dear shells, all made my heart heavy with memories, precious memories of every moment I have spent with you, my adored Lottie, by the side of our angel Kate. Oh! [illegible words] How I prayed! My darling, I was [illegible words]

[Page 2]
was the grave of Kate, & may be the grave of my joys and my sorrows. My heart longed for you & as I looked at the lovely river, with its sunlit [illegible] & my little angel’s [illegible], so pure bright & blue above me. Oh! Lottie, all my manhood failed me, and I felt as if my heart would break if I did not see you again- Ah my darling, I love you too much. I adore you. To think of you every moment; I long & pray to see you; to feel my soul beat at the thought of our meeting, or feel it faint at the idea of never kissing you again, Oh! these, my own, my idolized Lottie, my cherished wife, these are the impulses of my heart that keep beating as constantly as the laws of nature. And I am none the less a man for it all. But the night comes on, & I must go. Farewell. I leave my grave & my Lottie behind me, & I will go away over the bridge and off to the camp, & I thank God for the violet leaves from my baby’s grave. My heart is too full to write, Lottie, I must say good bye. I send you ($200) Two Hundred Dollars, at my risk. May you get it safely. I tried to get you an [illegible words] but could not. Preserve the [illegible] of this morning. What you read in the Mercury of this morning is correct. Good bye. Hug my boy to your heart & kiss him for his father. God bless you. Ellie

P.S. Major White advises that I had better not send the $200 by letter. I leave $250 with him. He will have it deposited in the Commercial Bank at Columbia subject to your order. Ellie. I will write more of it from camp.