Civil War Manuscripts ProjectManuscript Examinations |
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Allyn, Arthur W. Letters to his father, Timothy Mather Allyn (1800-1882) in Hartford,
from Camp Wood, KY, Camp Tyler at Falls Church, VA, and Lookout Mountain,
GA. Allyn originally enlisted in the First Connecticut Infantry on 25
April 1861 and was mustered-in Rifle Company A as a Private. He was promoted
to First Lieutenant, Sixteenth United States Infantry on 14 May 1861.
He was breveted Captain on 31 December 1861, receiving the full rank of
a Captain in the Regular Army on 24 June 1864. Allyn earned the brevet
rank of Major on 13 March 1865 and remained in the Army until 30 April
1880. The 16th U. S. Infantry was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland
during much of Allyn's correspondence. Allyn mentions his brothers, A.
H. Allyn, Joseph P. Allyn and Robert Allyn as well as his sister Nora
Allyn. Letter Lookout Mt. Ga March 3, 1865. Dear Father, I received your kind letter and was much pleased to find that you had so promptly attended to my wishes. Accept my most sincere thanks. I may have to call on you again for money for myself, as my pay has been stopped, but trust not, and shall not for the present. I only hope when I do, you may answer it, as promptly as you have in this instance. When you write you alway[s] indulge in naught but business, or generalities concerning the war, never saying any thing about yourself or dear Mother, or my dear Brothers or friends. It seems so very cold, and as though you supposed I did not care for those things, for your welfare and that of the other dear ones. In this you err, dear Father. I only wish you would unbend yourself and believe you have in my ears which will listen interestedly to all that concerns you or me - I long to know whether you are in good health and happy, whether Mother is still as young as ever, and how old age sits on both your shoulders, for time has thus far dealt sparingly with both of you. Now is the time when those who like me were stubborn and wayward in childhood, become more loving, as increase of age teaches the true worth of good parents - It too seems as though from your coolness, which I know from experience is unintentional, that your interest in your only soldier son is waning, now that he is far away in the wintry camp, waiting only for spring to come to enter the deadly arena once again, and this time I may not escape safely as of old - Sometime perhaps, not many a year hence, with honors won in the war and increased rank I may return home again with another little female beauty to visit my dear parents, and may perhaps decide as they grow older to cheer them on and leave the reckless life I have led for four years - Will they be glad to have me? or shall I rather live alway[s] the patriot defender of our country's honor and help bear the Stars & Stripes all over the Continent and make Americans rule America - What the future may bring forth I know not. But till the war is ended I shall follow the country's flag. Write me Father often and tell me the things dearest to you, for those should be and are the things dearest me. Tell Mother dear I send her a kiss of love, that I remember her most fondly. Tell my Brothers all I hold them in sweetest remembrance - And for yourself accept the filial love a son should bear a Father. I heard from Joe a few days since he is well. Watch the Press, I write occasionally, when I have something I think needs to be said to the people - Any thing from Lookout Mt. comes from me - Tell Mother to send me Harpers Magazine occasionally. I do not have much to read here - I get the Atlantic Monthly & would like Harpers. Write me soon Your Affectionate Son |
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