2022-11 Raynors HCA Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/18/2022
War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Alfred A. Thayer, Co. B, 96th Ohio Vols., Marion Hospital, New Orleans, La., Aug. 18, 1864, reading, in part: "-Annie, you spoke of that you wish I would let you come down here. Miss. Annie you must not think of that for there is too many women here now. There is one head nurse here with his wife & they quarrel all the time. He got up the other night & swore she had the poke & he was gong to kill her. The nurses of his ward heard her screams & broke in & stop[ped] him. She is a very nice woman to look at-I thought she was a nice woman but there is too many woman here now. It aint a fit place for a decent woman for she will get insulted. Anyhow there [is] one coming in our ward. She is a woman twenty five & has been married twice & her husbands are both dead. She looks like a nice woman. Her brother is here but I would rather have no woman in the ward. There was one soggier here got to be carpenter here so he sent for his family. They lived in residence wife & 4 or 5 children, put them in a little house just outside of the hospital-there was one soggier here sick & his wife came to stay with him . She had 2 little children & one on the way-he was a new recruit. He had the smallpox so the Dr. moved them out in a tent but she & the children got it & she died but the man & children got well. Col. sent one of our nurses away this week with smallpox but don't be afraid for I have been exposed several times. You are better off where you are. I can get along without a woman till I am out of the service & I don't want to come home till I can stay-A. A. Thayer." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Thayer's phonetic spelling and loose grammar had been corrected. VG.
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