Dear sister: the civil war letters of the brothers Gould War letters By Allie Sharp, Mason Smith and Megan Jenkins 5th

Dear Sister, I will now endeavor to write a few lines to you Dear Sister, I will now endeavor to write a few lines to you. I am in the enjoyment of good health and I hope this will find you enjoying the same. We left Harisburg [ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania] a week ago tomorrow. At wens- day we pitched our tents about two miles north of the city. This morning we were ordered to pack up and be ready for a march. We marched to bladesburg [ Bladensburg, Maryland] w[h]ere we again pitched our tents. While we were a marching one of our men was taken sick and died. There is a good deal of fighting here. We have enough to eat and enough to wear. I have had nothing from Charles yet but I must stop. There is 10 of us in one tent and there is not much chance for writing here, but I must give you a description of our bed. We have white oak brush on the ground. We have bread, coffe, pork, beef, rice, peas, and potatoes. Tell them all to write. Excuse my poor penmanship. From your affectionate brother, Wesley Gould

Dear sister Author: Wesley Gould The intended audience was his sister, which he was writing to. During the time of the letter Mr. Wesley Gould was talking about him and nine others living in the same tent during the war. October 2, 1861 was when the letter was written. Wesley Gould had a bias against the war and all the men sleeping in one tent. Why did they pick their tents? How did one of there men get a sickness then died?

Washington D.C. Hannah Thomas Oct 11th 1861 [Friday] Dear Sister, I received your letter this afternoon and feel it my duty to answer it im- meaditly. I thank God I am alive and well. I need heardly say the report of my being shot is entirely false, and I never have been found assleep on poast nor had disobeyed the army Regulations in any other way. I was very glad to hear from you. But, sister, you cannot immagine my feelings upon learning that Wesley had joined the army. I am proud of him as a brother but, Dear sister, I know the danger through which he must pass & I would to God I were with him to care for him. But he who has sustained him so far will not now leave him. Write to him of- ten. Give him all the encouragements in your power. Tell him to write to me without delay. Send him my address, perhaps he has forgoten them. If any more of the boys [brothers] enlist, be sure to have them with him for there is nothen like a friend [family] in these times. Though I do not believe he will be called to fight, still there is a great deal of dainger in camp. More die from disese than on the battle ground. George Smith the Phrenologist is dead. I am sorry, Hannah, our absence causes you grief, but be of good courage. Next spring I think will find us both home. Give my love to all friends. Tell them all to write. Let me hear from you again when you get this. I ever remain your affectionate Brother, Charles W. Gould

Dear sister Author: Charles W. Gould The intended audience is Charles’s sister, Hannah. Logically, Charles was against his brother going into the war, but Nationally it was a great thing that Wesley went into the war. The letter was written on October 11th, 1861. The bias in the letter is that Charles was strongly against his brother joining the war. Why was there a rumor about him being shot? Is there any reason why he is against having more of his brothers enlist in the war?

H. Thomas I send you $20. Dollars in treasury notes. They are safer to send than Gold and as good. Dear Sister, The war is a great evil, expensive to the Government, and causes the hasty death of many who I fear are as yet in sin. If I am called to die here I hope to be at peace with my God and meet my friends in heaven, but I need a great change witch I hope to obtain through the mercys of God and the merits of Christ. Give my love to the boys [brothers]. Tell them to write. No more at presant. Chas. Direct to Charles W. Gould Company I 3rd Regiment Excelsior Brigade

Dear sister Author: H. Thomas The Letter was directed towards H.Thomas’s brother and sister. Logically, he is saying how he is going to die I the war and nationally, the war was getting very harsh. It was writing in late November, early December of 1861. Yes, he had bias about staying alive during the war while writing this letter. What is going on in the war while he is writing this letter that makes him think that he may not live through it to write again? Why was the letter directed specifically towards Charles W. Gould’s Company?