A Heartfelt Greeting from 1866: A Letter to the Gwinns

“we very much lament the loss of Mr James Millburn as he was a truely honest man in worldly dealings and without controversy one of the best neighbors where he lived but is no more with us in this life”

There is something truly special about holding a letter from over a hundred and fifty years ago. This four-page treasure from J.V. Hulwider, written in 1866, shows its age with a bit of staining and those deep fold marks from being tucked away in a desk, but the slanted cursive remains as clear as the day it was written in fading brown ink. It is a bridge straight back to Carroll County, Indiana, right after the heavy clouds of the Civil War had begun to lift.

Life back then was a struggle against the elements, and J.V. does not sugarcoat it. He tells his brother Laban about the unwholesome season of rain that drowned the crops, leaving the family to survive on corn dodgers while fever and ague crept through the community. Yet, even with the mud and the sickness, there was a sense of victory. J.V. was celebrating being elected as the local assessor, a proud win for the Union party in a time when politics ran extremely high and every ballot felt like a piece of history.

Beyond the talk of politics and harvests, the letter glows with a deep, personal warmth. J.V. speaks of a child named Abe, or Lincoln, whom they have cared for so long they consider him their own, showing a tender side of nineteenth-century family life. He also touches on the loss of a dear neighbor, James Millburn, and his own quiet determination to clear the debts on his land despite the opposition and harsh words from some folks in town.

Reading this today, we see a man doing his level best for his family and his community. It is a story of swamp-draining and hard work, of mourning those who passed and celebrating the small wins at the ballot box. It reminds us that no matter how much time passes, the things that truly matter—looking after our neighbors, tending to our children, and keeping our word—never really change.

Original Transcription

Burlington Carroll County Indiana
October 14th 1866
Dear Brother
Sir After the lapse of some considerable time I take
this opportunity of addressing a few lines to you informing
that we are enjoying a reasonable portion of health
also all the friends & community generally Hopeing
these lines may find you and yours enjoying the
same blessing. We have undergone a very unwholesome
season of very remarkable wet weather fever and ague
has prevailed to a considerable extent Crops have
been considerably drowned we will not have
more than half as much corn as we raised
last year wheat was no more than one fourth
of a good crop Hoosiers will eat some corn
dodger before next harvest and a good many
will no doubt be glad to have plenty of that
I think pride will be some abated though times
are good enough yet Politics have been the
order of the day they have run extremely high
the election is now over and quiet prevails yet
we (the union party) are still rejoicing over our
decided and important victories not only at the
Ballot box but three of our soldier boys Cleaned out
the Warmans at Burlington we are joyous over that
I Cleaned out Isaac Patty for assessor by 23 votes

We have elected our represenative in Carrol
and our state Senator for Carroll & Clinton counties
we have elected G S Orth in this 8th district we stand 8
out of 11 for Congress in Indiana we have carried
Ohio Pennsylvania Iowa by large increased major
ities thanks to God our King forever amen
I will send you the Delphi Journal By request of
H Gwinn gave to me yesterday for that purpose
I mean one number of that paper Harrison &
family send their best respects to all you and write will
before long Harrison says he has not answered
your letter and he wished to send this Number
of the Delphi Journal and their respects
&C to you and family I have not much
interesting mater to write to you But will fill
up space with what enters my mind at present
A G Hulwider & family left here last Thursday
for Meigs County Ohio He sold his possession to
Mathen Kelly (or) 950 dollars Bought a tanyard with
15 Acres of Land where he goes I guess he has done
well he has plenty of Greenbacks We have lost
Old James Millburn who died in Monroe Co
Virginia he is buried by his father Green Wood
rum was with him and has returned to Ind
we very much lament the loss of Mr James
Millburn as he was a truely honest man in worldly
dealings and without controversy one of the best neighbors
where he lived but is no more with us in this life

You can say to Breckenridge Gwinn that Abe is well
and hearty at present tell him we get no word from
him
Since he left Ohio We would like to hear what
he intends to do weather he is going to give us Lincoln
or no for the longer we keep him the less willing
we will be to give him up for he is as our own child
only that he has been better treated than any we have
raised Now would just say we dont want him against
his fathers will but otherwise we would like to keep him
if he designs taking him which is his priviledge he
had better take him soon or at least let us know what
he is going to do please tell him to let us hear from him
very soon You can tell old pappy John that I am
Clearing my way very well I will soon free my
land from all incumberance notwithstanding the
opposition I have and that too from a very ill
founded source Humanity forbids me making
an exposition of the whole matter I have born more abus
with than any other man in Carroll County I have been
called thief robber & every other name that could be
thought I have born it all a little better than I thought I could
So I feel cheerful under all those provocations for concien
ce
Wood says I am doing right in my worldly affairs Laban
I want you to give our best respects to all the
friends namely John G Eldridge Lockridge
Patterson & Cathrine Samuel likewise Give my
respects to R A Flangan & Family I want all them
write to me soon as they Conveniently can do so

Since I commenced this letter Francina has
taken the ague she is now in bed I dont very
much like this swamp but I have my hands
tied and I cannot leave it very easy at this time
We are making some effort to have it drained
there is a ditch in progress about two miles nearly
complete to my land which will lessen the
frogs I will pay my third payment on my land
in a few days I have got the Greenbacks I am
still working some for Uncle Sam which pays
$4.00 per day if I live I will assess Burlington
Township for state & County tax as I am duly
Elected By 23 Majority Mr Israel Plank has got
him a wife she is old Wm Runyon’s daughter
I believe I have written all of much importance
I would have you excuse Bad writing &C
pleas answer this epistle as soon as you receive
this or at your Earliest Convenience
I will will write to old father John as soon
as I can But I must write old Greenbrier first
and for the first time since the Rebelion
Give our best love to all and accept
the Same for yourselves J V Hulwider
Laban Gwinn & Family
& Family