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Date Original
1846 June 12
Description
Correspondence from Edward Washburn during the Mexican War to his sister, Abbe Washburn Langford on June 12, 1846. Abbe lived in Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas. Edward gave her an artist's rendering of an officer at the flag pole after the American flag was hoisted up the pole.
Transcription
June 12, 1846
Dear Sister
Don't you believe I am going
to the war. I got a letter from Woodard yesterday & burnt it
because there was something in it I did not want Mr. A___ folks
to see. I tried to write last night I was going to write
about ten letters but there was so much noise that I could not
Josiah brought out that song the favorite of M. Luggs with
the tune of Trubadour, I hid it so he would not be singing it
all the time. Yesterday I bought some blue ink & Aenias
got some red.
Here is a picture of Mr Applebys
clock, what do you think of it, is it a pretty one.
Aenias is going out in a week or two & by him I will
send cards of letters & pictures to almost every body.
Woodard wrote that Dr. Gray is commander of one of the
companies to go to the line. It is raining & I cant go to town
How do you like this mode of writing, it is one of the latest
& most approved style's of writing, just for Paris.
Here is the U. S. Flag, with an
officer holding it. He is
a very ugly man There is a tent with
a banner on top & a
star in the side
Wave Munich all thy banners wave
And charge with all thy chivalry
The Star of Bethlehem
Send my best by Aenias
E. P. W.
Abbe M. Washbourn
Bentonville,
Benton Co.
Ark
Per
Electro magnetic telegraph
Physical Description
Letter, 12" x 7.25"
Subjects
Correspondence; War
Contributor
Edward Payson Washburn
Geographical Area
Mexico; Bentonville, Benton County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
MS.000194, Box 1, correspondence folder
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Washburn collection, MS.000194
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Letter from Edward Washburn to Abbe Washburn Langford, Washburn collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
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Comments
I liked the letter because, as an artist myself, I have found Washburn's paintings fascinating. When discovering this letter, I thought it was interesting, because he was creating an innocent visual image of his camp during the Mexican War for his sister. He was basically doodling. - Jane Wilkerson