Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, May 8, 1862 (Early morning)
Title
Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, May 8, 1862 (Early morning)
Subject
Description
Capers writes about a passage in a novel called "Lady-bird" that reminded him of Lottie and their love. He thanks God for the depth of their love but remarks that love is not without its pangs. He talks about losing their daughter and Lottie's strength in being able to care for their son, Frank. He closes by talking about where she should go, whether to Aiken, Columbia or Charleston.
Creator
Source
A1961.1, Box 2, Folder 41
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Relation
Ellison Capers Collection
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/477
Date Valid
Audience
Text
[Page 1]
Friday
Coles Island, May 8th 1862
My precious Lottie
It is just now seven minutes after 10 A.M. & very hot. I picked up a leaf or two of an old novel styled “Lady-bird”, and looking over it found a paragraph which seemed to have been spoken by one to his sweetheart, with much of my feelings for you. They, too, seem to have felt the hand of God, & in a moment of dependency Gertrude seems to have exclaimed, “Would that we had never met”! The reply is beautiful, and I adopt the sentiment and send it to you, my Gertrude, my own Lottie, for its own sake & because I know it to be the will of our hearts. “Let us so live, let us so die, that to all eternity we may say, thank God that we met”! Is it not beautiful, darling? Yes, Lottie, I thank God that we understand the meaning of our love, the meaning of our afflictions, and recognize in them the source of higher fruits of genuine virtue, and of earnest love, there
[Page 2]
our undisturbed happiness could never have yielded. Had we never wept together, your tears would not now burn my cheek, & had we never parted, my darling, we would not now know how much we loved each other, & all the precious words of love that we have spoken, would all have gone unsaid. Truly Lottie, dearest, for naught on earth is half so dear to me as you, it has pleased God to send us many a pang, along with all His goodness to us. But no cloud has yet been without its silver lining. There He took our little angel, our first-born, the child of our first impulses of love, the little being whose [illegible words] first call us mamma & papa. He gave us a beautiful lining to that heavy cloud, in your meek spirit, your gentle & pious submission, and in your unusual strength to bear up under the darkness & to care of our little boy. Then, my darling, let each pang which we endure
[Page 3]
be a lesson to and a blessing to all the others. Oh let good deeds, and noble, earnest efforts be the fruits of our suffering; and then, my angel, on that day “when every tear, every sigh, every cup of cold water is counted, we will say & if by His infinite mercy we both stand on His right hand, thank God that we ever met! Good bye till tonight.
20 min of 10 P.M. Well, darling, the day is over, & I have just wound up its labors by writing an order prescribing the manner of our leaving this place in case the enemy’s vessels run in. I have been thinking of you all day long. I have no idea dear if that you would have in Charleston a plenty of time to get out of it, nor have I any idea that the city will be shelled, or that it will be taken, if our General shows ability & energy. If you can’t get board in Aiken or Columbia, I am going to bring you down to good old Charleston, if I
[Page 4 – written on top of page 3]
am kept about it. If the authorities determine to defend the city they cannot and ought not to move out the Regt. from it. I sent [illegible] to the city yesterday. He said all were as usual at Aunt V’s & that [illegible] & Thompson were better.
Give my love to Augusta. Kiss my boy & may God bless you. Your Ellison.
P.S. Don’t you like the letters of the N.O. Mayor to Farragut? Do you get the paper? E
Friday
Coles Island, May 8th 1862
My precious Lottie
It is just now seven minutes after 10 A.M. & very hot. I picked up a leaf or two of an old novel styled “Lady-bird”, and looking over it found a paragraph which seemed to have been spoken by one to his sweetheart, with much of my feelings for you. They, too, seem to have felt the hand of God, & in a moment of dependency Gertrude seems to have exclaimed, “Would that we had never met”! The reply is beautiful, and I adopt the sentiment and send it to you, my Gertrude, my own Lottie, for its own sake & because I know it to be the will of our hearts. “Let us so live, let us so die, that to all eternity we may say, thank God that we met”! Is it not beautiful, darling? Yes, Lottie, I thank God that we understand the meaning of our love, the meaning of our afflictions, and recognize in them the source of higher fruits of genuine virtue, and of earnest love, there
[Page 2]
our undisturbed happiness could never have yielded. Had we never wept together, your tears would not now burn my cheek, & had we never parted, my darling, we would not now know how much we loved each other, & all the precious words of love that we have spoken, would all have gone unsaid. Truly Lottie, dearest, for naught on earth is half so dear to me as you, it has pleased God to send us many a pang, along with all His goodness to us. But no cloud has yet been without its silver lining. There He took our little angel, our first-born, the child of our first impulses of love, the little being whose [illegible words] first call us mamma & papa. He gave us a beautiful lining to that heavy cloud, in your meek spirit, your gentle & pious submission, and in your unusual strength to bear up under the darkness & to care of our little boy. Then, my darling, let each pang which we endure
[Page 3]
be a lesson to and a blessing to all the others. Oh let good deeds, and noble, earnest efforts be the fruits of our suffering; and then, my angel, on that day “when every tear, every sigh, every cup of cold water is counted, we will say & if by His infinite mercy we both stand on His right hand, thank God that we ever met! Good bye till tonight.
20 min of 10 P.M. Well, darling, the day is over, & I have just wound up its labors by writing an order prescribing the manner of our leaving this place in case the enemy’s vessels run in. I have been thinking of you all day long. I have no idea dear if that you would have in Charleston a plenty of time to get out of it, nor have I any idea that the city will be shelled, or that it will be taken, if our General shows ability & energy. If you can’t get board in Aiken or Columbia, I am going to bring you down to good old Charleston, if I
[Page 4 – written on top of page 3]
am kept about it. If the authorities determine to defend the city they cannot and ought not to move out the Regt. from it. I sent [illegible] to the city yesterday. He said all were as usual at Aunt V’s & that [illegible] & Thompson were better.
Give my love to Augusta. Kiss my boy & may God bless you. Your Ellison.
P.S. Don’t you like the letters of the N.O. Mayor to Farragut? Do you get the paper? E
Collection
Citation
Capers, Ellison, 1837-1908, “Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, May 8, 1862 (Early morning),” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 24, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/477.