This Civil War soldier letter was written by Hiland Homer Weaver (1833-1915), who lost his parents Hiram Vanarden Weaver (1809-1841) and Minerva Doud (1811-1844) at an early age. From his younger brother Orland’s obituary we learn that their father was killed by the caving in of a well; their mother by disease. They lived with the Samuel Orr family in Hillsdale county, Michigan, until Hiram married Harriet (“Hattie”) Arlie Johnson (1831-1907) in 1854 and settled in Beaver, Butler, Iowa, prior to the Civil War.
During the Civil War, Weaver enlisted in the 3rd Independent Iowa Battery (the “Dubuque” battery) on August 28, 1861. The Battery remained in the western theater of the war until it was disbanded and its members discharged on October 23, 1865. One source says he entered the service as a sergeant and left the service as a 1st Sergeant. Another source says he was commissioned a Lieutenant prior to leaving the service. Though he entertained thoughts of remaining in the army, Weaver left for Michigan, where Hattie lived during the war, and settled in Reading. Weaver worked as a carpenter following his military service, and died on January 23, 1915. He and Hattie had at least three children: Hiram (b. 1857), Jay (b. 1860), and Jennie (b. 1866).
These letters were once part of a very large collection of Weaver’s letters, sold at auction by Raynor’s Historical Collectible Auctions.
Some of Weaver’s letters have ended up in the archives at the University of Michigan (see Hiland H. Weaver papers, 1861, 1864-65), and some at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at Little Rock (see Hiland H. Weaver Collection MSS.08055.)
TRANSCRIPTION
Camp of Dubuque Battery and 9th Iowa
Camped six miles west from Helena
August 29th 1862
Dear Hattie and little ones,
How do you do this morning? It will be one year tomorrow since I last saw you and to you it must have been a long year. But to me it has been very short for I have been on the move almost all the time, seeing new things and a soldier’s life is a life of excitement the most of the time which causes the time to pass by very quick. And another thing, there is no Sundays in the army—especially when we are on a march. When we are in camp, we sometimes know when Sunday comes [but] if it were not for my writing, I should not know what day of the week it was one time in ten. But I write so much that i keep the day of the month and consequently I do not lose the day of the week very often. The great reason that it is so hard to tell when Sunday comes is on account of our duty being the same every day. It is like a woman’s work—the same day after day.
I hope we will have a change before long for I am getting tired of this laying in camp so long and I think we will start on a march before long because it has not been our lot to have it so easy. But they say it is a long road that has no turn and perhaps our time has come at last. But I would like to have the thing pushed through so what there is left can go home to their homes and wives and little ones, no more to go forth to fight the battle of their country.
Hattie, I look forward to the closing up of this war in the next six months. I think that there will be an order passed declaring all slaves free before the 15th of next month. It is necessary that there should be something of that sort done to save the government and that is the least thing I can see that is the only thing that will effectively put a stop to foreign intervention. As soon as our government disowns slavery, no foreign powers dare help the South for as soon as any government joins with the South, they must recognize slavery and they dare not do it for that is the great thing that has caused this trouble in our country. If there had not been any slavery, there would have been no rebellion. And the only way to close the trouble, is to remove the cause. And until that is done, there will be no peace.
Hattie, I wish you would make me a sedicule [probably a “housewife”?] and send it to me for they are a very nice thing for a soldier to have for we have to do our own mending. You know how they are made for there is not anything that is made with a needle and thread that you do not know how to make. Put in a few needles about middle size and some pins for it hard to get such things here and the clothes that we get are all made by machines and we have to make them all over.
Hattie, I have written to Jim Daniels and to Hiram Weaver this morning. Hiram and Uncle Lanzes’ [?] boy. He is in the army. I received a letter from him yesterday. He is in the Wisconsin 13th Regiment. He is a drummer. He says he likes the army very well. Hattie, tell me what company Coluno is in and what regiment. Hattie, I will close for this time. Answer soon. No more this time. Kiss the little ones for me. I remain yours as ever, — H. H. Weaver