March 15, 1859.

Dear Lina! Last Nov. I wrote you a letter and I hope you received it. But as I received no answer I want to repeat the most important things.

Last summer was here very wet, unfruitful, and unhealthy. I was very sick and weak for two months, that I was unable to do a thing. I recovered only late in autumn, but I am very well now. You know from my former letters that Henry left me and I wrote in my last letter that I could not stand life alone any longer and that I got married again. If you won’t become impatient I will include a list of seeds I want you to send me this summer …

Several of the seeds above you sent me already last summer, but I don’t know yet what will come up. Please write to me when you receive this letter, as I would like to know how you are doing. Give my regards to Karl and let me know how he is doing and whether he is still working for Le Roy [de Ray? — LPM] as a gardener.

If you are interested I am going to tell you more about our life here. As you know, I am living in the state Wisconsin, in the county of Monroe and in the town[ship] of Portland. Monroe County is 30 miles long and wide, the town[ship] of Portland is 12 miles long and six miles wide. Every town has the following officials, which are elected new every year: three supervisors, one of them is Chairman, another is Clerk, and the 3rd is Treasurer; a Superintendent for the schools, and two assessors, one sealer and seven assessors [? tax collector? -LPM] and four Justices of the Peace.

Every autumn the land and property of the inhabitants is estimated by the assessors, the clerk makes a tax-list accordingly, and the Treasurer has to collect the taxes until the end of January. The value of our town was this last year $43,859 and the taxes amounted to $1568, of which $178 went to the state, $248 to the county, $179 to the town, $866 for schools, and about $100 for roads. Everyone elected to office has to swear and has to put up a bond. All town officials receive for every day spent in office $1.50. I am clerk and my amount will be about $40. Next April new officials are going to be elected again, that is always a very lively time for our town. There are several parties and every party tries to get its friends elected. Every white man who is 21 years old and has lived in this state for a year is allowed to vote, whether he is poor or rich. All the town officials, the Governor and the other State officials, the County officials, and Judges throughout the country are voted at one time, elected on a certain day in autumn. Every four years a President of the U.S. is elected.

To Mr. Edward Kullmann, Publisher of the Madison Newspaper, Madison, Wisc.

Mt. Pisgah, Monroe Co., Wisc., Nov. 10, [1859].

Dear Sir! I read in your paper an appeal to philanthropes for a certain widow Erndle. You state yourself ready to accept contributions for her. You maybe can do more for her and secure a decent living for her, if you want to take up the small trouble and do the negotiations.

I have a neighbor, his name is Friedrich Schultz, about 35 years old, the owner of 80 acres of land, house, oxen, cows, and pigs, has no debts, is a decent, industrious man and widower. He is willing to take Mrs. Erndle with her children as a housekeeper, assumed that she has interest in this job, and he will probably marry her, when he gets to know her more intimately. Would you please inform Mrs. Erndle and send her answer to me and let me know more details about her situation. If she agrees I am going to have Schultz give me a written assurance. Mrs. Erndle is supposed to come by train till Sparta, where he will pick her up with his wagon.

You must not be surprised about this …

 … proposal and think there is something wrong somewhere. The man has a good name, a nice appearance and a friendly character and enough to eat. German women are rare here, however, and he does not want an English one.

Expecting a kind reply, I sign …

Mr. Robert Hennig, St. Louis, Mo.

Mt. Pisgah, M.C., Wisc., Nov. 14, 1859.

Dear Sir! My daughter wrote from Kummerfeld near Hamburg that my wife Elise, former Mithöfen is coheiress to the inheritance of your cousin Hans Wilhelm Detlev Wiedersprecher, who died in Hermann Mo.

I learnt besides that, from my daughter’s letter, that you tried to collect the mentioned inheritance behind my back — but without success, as it — consisting of property — is not allowed to go abroad, but an heir, who was at the time of death of the testator in the U.S., can collect it.

Now I would like to hear from you, whether there is such a law, and how I can claim the inheritance as the husband of the heiress. I am living in this country since 1845 and am citizen of the U.S. Of what does the inheritance consist, and in whose hands is it now? What papers might I need to prove my claims? — If you will give me a satisfactory answer I won’t fail to negotiate with you more closely.

C.F. Adae, Esq., Cincinnati, O.

M.P. M.C. W. Nov. 14, 1859.

My wife Elise, formerly Mithöfen from Vurel in Oldenburg, who is presently living in Kummerfeld in Holstein, writes me that her cousin Hans Wilhelm Detlev Wiedersprecher, also from Oldenburg, had died some years ago in Hermann, Missouri and that he left a fortune of about $16,000 for which she is coheiress (my wife’s father, mother, and sisters and brothers are all dead). She has tried in vain to receive the inheritance. Now the U.S. Consul of Hamburg has told her, that the inheritance cannot go abroad as it consists of real estate; however, can be collected by an heir who was in the U.S. at the time of the testator’s death.

I found your address as Consul of Oldenburg in a German paper. …

 … I therefore take the liberty (as both the testator and the heiress are from Oldenburg — I am a born Saxon!) to ask you: whether there is such a law in the U.S. or in Missouri and how I as the husband of the heiress and citizen of here, can claim the inheritance, as I was living here already during the time of the testator’s death. Asking a kind reply, I sign …

To Karoline Gerstenberg in Kummerfeld near Hamburg.

Nov 15, 1859.

After having waited for a long time in vain, I received your letter a few days ago. Did you not receive my letter from last spring? I asked you to answer me. I can get over it that the bastard brood Heinrich and his sisters and brother left me, but it hurts me very much that my only daughter neglects me so much. If it would not be for this silly inheritance I maybe would not have heard from you for a long time.

I wish you would not have disturbed my peace by your inheritance affair. A lot of worries, troubles, and expenses are for sure, but the success as uncertain as hitting the jackpot. Until I have heard more details about the inheritance I want to tell you about my present life. You always think we here in America sit full with money and without worries, but we have to earn our living with our labor also.

Just imagine you move with everything into your darkest heath, presumed no land there is cultivated yet. There you can build yourself first a cabin. Then you go to the forest close by and fell trees for a log house. Before you even have finished it, it starts to snow. Next year you rent some land for potatoes too, root the bushes and shrubs besides in the heath, and have about an acre ploughed. The next spring, after you have taken care for the neighbor field, [imagine that] Gerstenberg gets sick and is lying half dead in bed for eight weeks. You are busy enough to take care for your sick husband. When he is finally better he is so weak that he is unable to work through the whole autumn. During this time, the pigs have dug up your potatoes and winter is before your doors again. Fortunately the forest is not far away, …

 … so you have no want of firewood. A new spring comes (1859) and with it new hope and lust for life. If you can imagine all this you know my beginning in Wisc.

Now I want to tell you about this last summer. April was nice and warm, but May was so wet cold, that the time for seeds and plants was put off until the end of this month. I planted the acre of land which I had cultivated near my house, with potatoes and garden vegetables, and borrowed a piece of land from my neighbor besides. I took everything what I could scrape together and bought a cow for $20, which was supposed to calve in a few weeks. It looked for the young grass near the creek, got stuck by her feet on a soft spot, fell head over heels into the water, and drowned.

May 21: Beans, cucumber, and other tender vegetables froze so that I had to start sowing again.

May 28: We had a strong hail shower, which killed everything the frost had left.

June 4: We had a hard night frost. Cucumbers, beans, pumpkins, potatoes, and corn froze; the two last ones sprouted again from the root. The leaves and young sprouts from the oaks and other wild trees were black.

June 16: Mild hoar frost, which did no harm to me.

July 26 & 27: Frost in the night, but with little harm.

Aug. 1: After a very long drought rain came; the potatoes and vegetables which nearly all were dried up grew again fresh and strong.

Sept. 2: Hard frost at night. Corn, potatoes, and many other things which were in the best growth, were entirely ruined.

When you read the above things you must not believe that the region here is so cold. This was a very unusual year. Wheat, barley, rye, and oats grew excellently.

I am very well and have again bought a nice cow for $23 and two calves for $9 this autumn. Times are still very bad; money is nearly not existing at all. There is only trade and exchange of things. I am sometimes surprised about myself how I survived. I always had enough …

 … to live till now. If I had understood how to manage with so little, I would be nearly rich. But what is money good for? One cannot eat it and cannot take it along in one’s grave either.

The seeds you sent me last summer have all arrived well. As you have had a little daughter again I have to believe you still have a husband. I nearly doubted it as you never wrote about him. I am glad that you are all well.

You ask me to take over your inheritance affair, without informing me more about the details. I have written to Robert Hennig. He answered me shortly that he had heard of a Widow Meissner and that he would only [supply] more details if I would send him $10.

If you want me to take over this affair I will do it, and will pay you half of everything I will be able to get — after the expenses are deducted, naturally.

In order to enable me to act successfully I have to know:

1. How is your mother related to Detlev Wiedersprecher?

2. Who are the co-heirs?

3. Has your mother given a certificate to Robert Hennig or somebody else, and what papers did she send to him?

Then you have to mail me the following papers:

No. 1 is a copy of the inheritance and certificate. Your mother has to sign and seal there where I marked it by pencil, in the same way you and Gerstenberg have to sign as witnesses also. Then your mother has to go to a public notary and he has to put down about the following things and has to sign his name and put down his seal. You must not forget either to put the date in.

No. 2 is a marriage certificate. As the name in the parish book is not good enough. You have to get two witnesses to sign the paper, and a notary has to make an affidavit, maybe Ullrich and Brühmann.

No. 3 is a revocation of a certificate made earlier.

Mr. W. Voigt, Capital Brewery, Madison, Wis.

Dec. 18, 1859.

I have received your letter of the 13 of this month. After having talked again with Schultz, I can reply that he has the doubt to make expenses and troubles to himself by a trip to Madison. If the widow Erndle could have come here, as I suggested, she would not only have found a nice place for the winter, but also a marriage could have been arranged — without doubt. I am sorry that the circumstances did not allow the execution of my plan, as I would have liked to have found a support for the widow and a housekeeper for my neighbor …

Mr. E.C. Angelrodt in St. Louis, Mo., Duke and Consul of Oldenburg.

Dec. 18, 1859.

About four weeks ago I wrote a letter to Mr. C.F. Adae in Cincinnati, whose address I found in a newspaper. He replied that he sent my letter to you for answering. As I have not heard anything yet from you I take the liberty to put my affair before you again.

My wife Elise (from whom incidentally I have heard nothing for years) born as Mithofen in Vanel in the Oldenburg, writes to me from Kummerfeld in Holstein, that her cousin Hans Wilhelm Detlev Wiedersprecher, also from Oldenburg, died in Hermann, Mo. some years ago and that he left a big fortune to which she is co-heiress. As it seems, she tried without success to ask for that inheritance, and therefore addresses me. The U.S. Consul in Hamburg is said to have told her that the inheritance — as it consists of property — is not allowed to go abroad, but can be collected by an heir who was in the U.S. at the time of the testator’s death. Caused by these words, I take the liberty to ask you some questions and, as both the heiress and the testator are from Oldenburg, I don’t doubt that you will be so kind as to answer me.

1. Is there a law in the U.S. or in Missouri, which does not permit ‘real estate’ to be collected by an heir living abroad?

2. What claims can I make and prove as the husband of the heiress, as I was here in this country at the time of the testator’s death.

3. What do I have to do to prove my claims?

4. Do you know any more details about this inheritance?

Mr. Jacob Rubin, Whitewater, Wis. Jan. 10, 1860.

I heard from your cousin and our mutual friend John Wenhen, that you intended to build a house in the country. If you still have that intention, I would like to inform you of an good opportunity how to acquire a beautiful piece of land very inexpensive.

I have a farm of 160 acres, which has the following situation [sketch map showing parcels 1, 2, 3, 4, and creek]. As you can see the road and creek goes through the middle of this land, which would make two beautiful farms. 80 acres are enough for each of us and I could give therefore half of it, that is No. 1 & 2. That is without doubt the better half. As I live on No. 4, I have to take No. 3 & 4. No. 1 is beautiful, plain plowing country and No. 2 is the best wood lot in a circle of six miles, where there would be no more piece of wood if I would not have guarded it since three years and for which already many are lurking.

There have been some sales made lately, land without wood and water for five Taler per acre. I will sell you these both 40 acres for $150. My preemption is valid till the beginning of March. If you are unable to scrape all the money together and pay me only $50, we can keep the land another year for you, if you give John the order. You better keep in mind, you will receive wood and beautiful, clear water, which never freezes in winter and is cold as ice in summer, good pastures, beautiful plowing land, and you can build your house directly at the Sheck [?] river road. You cannot find a piece of land with all these advantages around here.

I am sorry that you don’t know me closer, [so] that you will know I am no cheat. But you easily can convince yourself if you ask Krähenbühl.

Expecting a reply soon, I sign …

Commissioner of the General Land Office, Washington, D.C.

Jan 1860 [excerpt].

… People save their own timber and skim some Government [land] entirely, thereby making it worthless. … You will perhaps say this is none of my business, the reason is I wish to protect some Govt. land adjoining my farm till I can enter the same.

W.J. Slater, Esq., Hermann, Mo.

Jan 30, 1860.

I read your address in the Hermann paper and I want to know whether you know some details about the inheritance of Hans Wilhelm Detlev Wiedersprecher who died several years ago and whether you can be my attorney in my claims as heir to this inheritance or whether you are already engaged in this affair by another party. Looking forward to a speedy reply I sign …

== [Addendum to same letter? (compare Nov 14, 1859)].

My wife writes me from Holstein: "My cousin Hans W. Detlev Wiedersprecher died a few years ago in Hermann, in the state of Missouri, and he left a fortune of about $16,000 behind, of which I am a co-heiress. Now the money, as it comes from real estate — cannot be sent to Denmark [?!]. Now the American Consul in Hamburg told me that an heir who was in America at the time of his death can claim all of the inheritance.

From: F.A.M.

[Other letters concerning claims for uncle’s inheritance in Missouri.].

From: F.A.M.; To: Newspaper in Hermann, Mo.

To the Publisher of the Paper in Hermann, Mo.

M.P. M.C. W. Oct 9, 1860.

Dear Sir! Some years ago a certain Detlev Wiedersprecher died in Hermann and left an important inheritance behind, which was claimed by his heirs in Germany (as I heard a short time ago!), but there is still a lawsuit about it going on. You would do me a big favor if you would let me know whether there is still time to prove a claim to said inheritance and could you tell me somebody there who would take over this affair. My wife is first cousin to said Wiedersprecher and I was at the time of his death in America. Expecting your kind reply, I sign …

To daughter Karoline Gerstenberg, brother Karl Meissner, grandson Heinrich Gerstenberg, and son-in-law Georg Gerstenberg (in or near Kummerfeld).

M.P. M.C. W. Oct 9, 1860.

Dear Lina! I received your letter from spring and read it with great joy. I hope that the Hugter [? — M.C.] which you had while writing the letter, did not turn into a bad disease.

As you will be most interested in the inheritance affair I will tell you first all about it I know. After much red tape I learned that Robert Hennig died which slowed the affair down — I hope to the best of our interest. I have received my and your grandparents’ marriage certificate, but in order to have power to act I need the certificate that I sent for you to sign.

We had an excellent summer. My health is well. I am feeling stronger than when I left Kummerfeld. I have together with only an old man mowed and dried 20,000 lb. of hay, and in Kummerfeld I could not even mow my meadows. My cattle is doing excellently, and I wish you and your husband and children would be here. What a nice farm we would establish! Not a single one of the …

 … primroses came up; the carnations and other things did fine. If you have collected this summer shrubs and plants seeds for me please send it like your last letter with a Hamburg packet boat and have it mailed in N.Y. If you can, please include the following seeds …

Send it as soon as possible. I hope that this letter may reach you as well as it leaves me. Your Father …

==

Dear brother Karl! If you are still alive so let me please know how you are doing. I am well and doing fine. Enclose a letter for me in Lina’s letter, please.

Your brother …

==

Dear Heinrich! I have received your little letter, which you wrote to me more than a year ago, and I read it with great joy. I have also answered it, but my letter got lost as your mother told me. As you surely have learned how to write even better in the meantime, I would be glad to receive again a letter from you in which you tell me all about you, your brothers and sister, your garden, and so on. [Heinrich, b. abt. 1849, was about 11 years old at this time. — LPM.].

My best regards from your loving …

==

Dear Gerstenberg! As I would also like very much to hear about you, I am going to tell you something about here: It is stated that this year about 300 millions bushel wheat were raised in Wisconsin (1 bushel weighs 60 lb.), in whole America about 180 millions bushel. — [Compare the following with F.A.M. letter to Karoline March 15, 1859 — LPM.] Wisconsin is divided into Counties and these again into Town[ship]s. The town[ship] I am living in is called Portland and is six miles long and six miles wide. Every square mile is called a ‘Sect[ion]." Every sect[ion] is again divided into four parts and every quarter again in four parts or 40 acres. This is smallest quantity of land one can buy from the Government and that for $50. Every town has a Supervisor and two assistant Supervisors, a Town Clerk, a Treasurer; an Assessor, four Justices of the Peace and four Constables, and a Town Superintendent [of schools?]. Every year in April these officials are elected anew. Every inhabitant who is 21 years old has the right to vote. The names of the candidates you want to vote for are all printed or written on a paper and this paper is thrown into a certain box. After all have voted the papers are taken out and …

 … are read aloud. Whoever has the most votes is elected. I have been now elected already for the 2nd time as Town Clerk, in 1858 and 1860. All officials receive for every day they spend in the town’s business $1.50 . The taxes are paid once every year. They consist of State, County, Town, and School Tax. The fortune of everybody is estimated by the Assessors, according to which the Town Clerk makes out the tax list and gives it over to the Treasurer with the order to collect the tax. The estimated value of our town in 1858 was $22,297 and the taxes were $880 or nearly four cts. per dollar.

Every four years a new President of the U.S. is elected. The last election was Nov. 6. All the country was in a tremendous excitement. There are here three big political parties, the Democrats, the Republicans, and the Natives; the first party is for slavery, the second against it, and the third one does not want the immigrated citizens to have the same rights as the natives. All Catholics vote for the first party, all enlightened immigrants vote for the second one, and only the jealous natives vote for the third one. The Republicans won and Abraham Lincoln is our newly elected President.

Another time I will write more.

Your friend … .

==

Postscript to Lina [Karoline].

Nov. 26, 1860.

I have still postponed mailing your letter, as I would have liked to tell you more details about the inheritance. Some days ago I received a letter from Hermann, which said, the inheritance is already since Wiedersprecher’s death, who died 1849 of the Cholera, in a law suit and I think the heirs from here and from Germany will keep fighting for it until nothing is left from the inheritance. Among the mentioned heirs are the brothers Onken, who are living presently on the Gasconade and who are pretty wealthy. — Judging by all this I would advise you not to have too big hopes. I have none at all. If I weren't doing it for your sake I would not trouble myself at all.

To Mr. Jacob Graf, Publisher of the Paper in Hermann, Missouri.

Feb. 20, 1861.

Dear Sir! I received your kind reply to my questions last autumn. You find enclosed here the copy of a letter which I wrote soon afterward to Mr. Adv[ocate] Gale, but received no answer.

I want to ask for your negotiation in this matter and I will pay you 5% from everything which I should receive from this inheritance. I expect for this in return that you inform me now and then (under the hand! [privately? — LPM]) about the state of this matter and that you help me by your good advice. For that purpose I left the enclosed copy without address and I beseech you to send it to an advocate you may chose, who is willing to put some power [effort?] behind this matter.

I received yesterday a letter from my wife telling me that the Onken brothers are not heirs, because their mother is still alive. She says farther on that she learned that real estate — according to a law presently valid in Missouri — cannot be inherited by somebody abroad, and that I am the only legal heir as the Onkens came to America after Wiedersprecher’s death.

In case the present political excitement should be in the way of my interests, I would not mind to change my home to your region, as it is too cold for me here anyhow, because only a few years ago I moved from Florida to this place. My business is gardening, I preferably raise seeds. How would this suit for Hermann? As I suspect you are the owner of a garden and if not yourself, somebody of your family loves flowers, I enclose some seeds.

Expecting your kind reply, I sign …

To Mr. Jacob Graf, Editor of the Paper in Hermann, Missouri.

April 8, 1861.

Dear Sir! I take the liberty to ask you whether you received my letter which I wrote to you in February. As I have received no answer, I am afraid it got lost. …

To the Milwaukee Atlas. To the Editor.

[April, 1861].

Dear Sir! My business is gardening. I raise especially garden and flower seeds. I have a good selection of sunflowers and I will sell you 25 beautiful kinds for one dollar. The most of this kinds are listed with 10 cts. per paper in Emery’s, Chicago, seeds catalog. Yes, I will send you two assortments postage free [in return] for one year subscription of the ‘Atlas.’ As soon as I receive one sample of the ‘Atlas,’ I am going to send you the seeds.

Respectfully …

To Mr. Bernhard Donschoke, Milwaukee.

May 15, 1861.

Dear Sir! As soon as I received the Atlas from April 17, I mailed an assortment of flower seeds to you, but have received no other paper yet since this time. I don’t know whether the seeds did not arrive or what might be the cause.

Aug 18, 1861.

Dear Lina! I received your letter of January of this year and wrote several letters on account of the inheritance to Hermann, but received no answer, as in the meantime war broke out and Missouri is one of the Southern States, where there is now a real turmoil. The last paper tells right now about a big battle which was just fought. The Free States of the North arm themselves tremendously. Before winter comes, probably 500,000 volunteers will bear arms and it is to be expected that the South cannot resist such superiority.

If I could go personally to Missouri after the war, it might be possible to arrange something. One cannot do much by writing here. But traveling is expensive. I now have a nice start, which I am not going to give up in exchange for an uncertain hope. I have now two cows, two oxen, and two calves, geese and chickens, a beautiful garden, and I cultivate every year some more land. I wrote you some time ago that the start here would be as hard as in your heath, where you would have to build a house and so on. The difference however is that — when it is broken up in summer — wheat can be sowed on it in autumn or spring, which usually …

 … gives a good yield and so it goes on for 10 years and improves itself nearly from year to year — without the least bit of fertilizer. We eat here nothing but wheat bread. It is — to be sure — a very hard job to establish a new farm, especially for a single man, but one does not have so many worries about food as in Germany. You and your big family could do no better but to come over here. Yes, you even owe it to your children and as I have already a nice start and know about life here, it would not be half so hard for you than for somebody who arrives here entirely as a stranger. If you yourself cannot make up your mind send me at least one of your boys over, but where to get the traveling expenses? To beg for it, or what would be more decent — to work as cabin-boy.

Since your letter of January I have not heard anything again. If this letter will reach you in time that you will be able to answer me still this autumn please include in your letter some seeds for me. This will cause no big expenses for you. From the carnation and Stocks seeds I received two years ago I have now a beautiful place of it full in blossoms. I also would like to have some primrose and violet seeds, for the others I don’t want to cause so much expense for you. If you cannot send your letter by a ship, please send it by a Hamburg or Bremen steamboat, it will be too expensive by the Prussian mail.

Best regards to all of you from your loving father.

Feb.. 8, 1862.

Dear Lina! After having waited for a long time in vain and being just about to write one again to you I received your letter of Dec. 11. I don’t need to tell you that I was very glad about it, especially as it left all of you in good health. As your husband sends his regards I have to believe that he is still alive, although he did not answer my letter. As I see, your family has increased again by a daughter. Give little Emma a kiss from her grandfather, one also to Line and one to Karl. I am going to write to Wilhelm and Heinrich.

I cannot understand that you are so afraid of the long trip, as so many thousands of people come over here. My next neighbors …

 … are Germans, people from the lowest classes, who arrive here with nothing, and every one of them has now already a beautiful farm.

The war is not finished yet; it has only just started. The Government has now an army of 700,000 men under arms — all volunteers, a great lot of whom are Germans. The common private receives $13 per month and food and clothing. Wheat here in the West costs 50 cts. per bushel (= 60 lb.), pork is $2.50 per 100 lb., butter eight cts. per lb.

The seeds you sent to me are very welcome to me! Parsley and celery are entirely unknown here, but I have the right soil for it — if I would only have more hands to work. From whom did you buy the flower seeds? They seem to be inexpensive; I only hope they are good. The Stocks I received last [year] from you were pretty good. The trade with seeds is done here in an entirely different way as with you. Every little package costs five cts. More or less seed is put into it — according to the seed, whether it costs more or less.

I sure would like to have a catalogue from the seed merchant where you bought my seeds, also an Erfurt flower catalog, even if it is not the newest one. You must not include these catalogs in my letter, but put them into an envelope that is open at both ends.

I sure wish also that I could spend once a Christmas Eve with you. But wishing is good for nothing and I am already too old to become soft. I am still as healthy as ever, live pretty happy and gay, and ‘earn my bread by the sweat of my brow.’.

==

Dear Wilhelm! You write to me that you will come to me when you are out of school. If I remember right, there you have to go to school till your 17th year. That is too long. [He is now about 11. — LPM] You should come over that you could go to school here. In the same way the time would be lost if you would learn first a profession. What you learn at home in a day you will learn here in an hour. But how to come here, I don’t know. You said I should save some money for the trip. I am an old man and have to do all my work alone, you know. I am driving now my hay home from the marsh. When I have loaded a cart full, I climb on a small ladder that I take along, and put it in order. Then I throw more up, then climb up again to …

 … put it in order and so on, till the last wagon is loaded. And it’s the same with unloading. You have to train yourself to write in ‘Latin letters,’ which will help you a lot here. Our school starts here in the morning at nine o’clock and lasts till three in the afternoon. In the morning the children have 1/2 hour for play, one hour at noon, and in the afternoon again 1/2 hour, so that they sit four hours in school per day.

Your Grandfather, F.A.M.

==

Dear Heinrich! You wrote me that you had had a bad year for fruit. We had a beautiful summer, but the wheat was not as good as last year’s. When the wheat is mowed and bound, it is put up in big heaps in the fields. In autumn it is threshed by a machine that is pulled by 10 horses, and about 12 men have to help besides. These men thresh in one day 300 to 400 bushel. Not every farmer has a machine, but the machine is on a wagon and is driven to us from field to field. In the front the sheaves are put in, and in the back the threshed straw comes, and from the side appears the pure wheat. I’ll write more another time.

Your Grandfather.

[Feb. to Apr. 1862: Trying to adopt a girl from Madison Wisc. reform school, but evidently nothing materialized.].

Mr. Bernhard Domschecke, Publisher of the Atlas, Milwaukee.

April 6, 1862.

Dear Sir! Last spring I wrote to you that I would like to get the weekly ‘Atlas,’ if I could pay it in flower seeds. You toldl me in your reply of April 22 that you agree to this deal, so I sent you at once a package with flower seeds by mail carrier. It was a dollar worth, addressed to you in order to have them mailed in Sparta. As the Atlas did not come any more after one or two issues, I wrote to you again in May and inquired about the cause of this all. I sent this letter by stage driver, but received no answer. I renew now my offer and I am going to send you — postage free — 100 papers of flower seed in the value of $3.00 in about 20 different kinds as prepayment for the Atlas; you find a sample enclosed. Expecting a kind reply I sign …

If you can sell flower seeds for me at any way (the retail price is five cts. per paper!), I can send you more for this price.

Apr. 9, 1862.

Dear Lina! You probably received my letter that I wrote to you in February. First of March I sowed the Stocks and celery seeds that you sent me in a box, at the same time with some Stocks seeds that I collected myself, and with some that I received from two years ago. The last one came up first, and then the middle one, and this one I received only a short time ago was the last to come up. This makes me believe that he is a little bit old. From whom did you get it? As I wrote already in my last letter, please send me two Hamburg, a new Quedlinburg, and a new Erfurt catalogue, but I would like to have them soon, as I wanted to have seeds sent to me in autumn. Have your children collect seeds for me this summer. According to a new law, seeds can be mailed inexpensively by mail as well as printed matters. — .

The war advances pretty well. The rebels were beaten on all places and are entirely expelled from Missouri, so that I have the hope that something could be done for the inheritance if I could go myself. If you can make it possible to send Wilhelm over here, I could get away for eight days, as he could take care of my cattle during this time and could be helpful to me in still other ways, that I would be quicker done with my seed crop and hay making. Children under 12 years go for half the fare. When I came over here last time, there was a boy — about 11 years old — on the ship also, who had no friends or relatives with himself on the ship, and went to his uncle in America. Children usually have the best deal, as the sailors have a great preference for them. Your mother has collected so much money when we had burnt down. [Contributions from friends in Kummerfeld? -LPM] Should she be unable to collect when she tells the people that the boy wants to go to his grandfather in America? If you want or can send Wilhelm, so send him soon. Maybe you find on the ship a family that goes to Wisc. The money for the trip as far as New York has to be paid in Hamburg, and you have to give the remaining money to the Captain in order not to have it stolen on the ship. In N.Y. the Captain or the German Co. will take care for his remaining trip. In a letter you send by mail, you have to give me the news by what ship and Captain he departed. Then …

 … you have to give Wilhelm my address and tell him that — in case something should happen to him between here and N.Y. — he has to write to me and to let me know where he can be found. He does not need to take more clothes than a knapsack full, that he will be able to carry himself if necessary. Do your most possible; I will do mine.

Your father …

Letter from Eva Dorothea Meissner to Sister Jane and Brother Henry (George Henry Crouse, aka Henry Crouse or Krauss).

[About Jun 1862; excerpt].

… We are glad to hear that … you have such a pretty baby [daughter Phoneta — LPM] … that Henry [is teaching school] …. We have heard you been talken of going to Colorado. Meißner would like to go to Californien or Oregon. … .

Affectioned Sister E.D. Meissner.

G.H. Crouse, Maiden Rock, Pierce Co., Wis.

26 Jul 1862 [excerpt].

… The assurance of your returned love has been very gratifying to me and Meißner. He has always felt sorry that he and my only brother could not better agree.

To Jane: The kisses sent by little Phoneta I have distributed… My love to you, Henry, and little Phoneta….

[From F.A.M.: ] I would like to live near a See Coast. The Atlantic has long been settled so I shall have to look to the Pacific. … (Oregon) … But how to get there? That is the great question …

[About Aug 1862 excerpt].

… My letter was also a few days delayed in mailing by Mr. Russell showing Meißner the door and verbitting him to entre his house … [Russell was postmaster (at his home?) and had been sued by F.A.M who got $4 plus costs for damage by Russell’s hogs running loose.].

… I would be very glad if you and Jane was going to live in our neighborhood, provided we could live as friends, but you know Meißner can not bear to be asked so many questions, he cannot bear to have his letters and papers by you searched through, he cannot bear to be always corrected like a little schoolboy, and I can neither bear to have my man run down by you. It is true you are my brother, but when a woman marries she gives up Father, Mother, and Brother for her man. But if she loves her man, there is no reason why she could not also love Father, Mother, and Brother. We are willing to forget all the past and allso on our part to gard ourself for the future. If you will do the same, then come and let us live in peace.

Dec. 1862.

Dear Father and Mother! As we owe you still something, we send a little meat for Christmas, also some tallow so that the Christ Child may not find you in the darkness, and we wish you a very happy Christmas.

We want to give you also a good advice which comes from an honest heart, but you despise always the good advice of your children and obey strange people who — being selfish — mislead you. Your house is here still on its old place, also your hay is still in the marsh. You haven’t received money yet. The change can still be undone. Come back as soon as possible — you will save a lot of troubles and labor. May Our Lord enlighten your blinded sense and lead you to the best. Your sincere daughter wishes this.

Your [Eva] Dorothea Meissner.

To G.W. Wolfe, Esq., Viroqua, Wisc.

Dec 1862? [excerpt].

… It appears that my son G.H. Meißner and others of comp. F (3rd Wisc. Reg.) were sent to Front Royal without returning …

To Mr. Carver, English Prairie, Iowa.

Dec 1862? [excerpt].

… Let us know if you have heard lately of G. Henry Meissner …

To E.B. French, Second Auditor, Washington, D.C.

20 Dec 1862 [excerpt].

… I suppose your Hon. have the means to ascertain if my son is death, and if so I begg your advice what I have to do to receive his back pay and bounty.

Very respectfully, Your obedient servant.

March 1, 1863.

Dear Lina! Since I received your last letter of Dec. 11, 1861, I have written twice to you, in February and in April. In my first letter I also wrote to Heinrich and Wilhelm, but I waited in vain so far for an answer. I cannot explain your long silence. Have you entirely forgotten your father?

I am still well and fine, and wish and hope that you and your family have the same luck. If not in my last letters but then at least from the newspaper you have heart that we are in a big revolution war. Heinrich went as volunteer and has been prisoner for four months, but now exchanged and back with his regiment. I cannot do anything about the inheritance if I cannot go personally to Missouri, for what reason I wrote you in my last letters, you should send Wilhelm over to me, that he could take care for my cattle during my absence.

In case your children collected last summer some bush seeds, or especially primrose and violet seeds, and you mail it right away after you have received this letter, it will still arrive on time. You have to put the seeds into a small package — without …

 … a letter, and you have to give it to the Hamburg post office. The package has to be addressed like a letter and ‘seeds’ has to be written on it. By Hamburg steamer, it will cost you only one cent postage per ‘lot.’ In the same way a letter if you mail it also by the Hamburg Post and write ‘Hamburg Steamer’ on it, will cost only 10 cents — if mailed in Pinneberg it will cost 25 cents. I addressed my last letters to Pinneberg, but I will send this one again to Hamburg, which will save 15 cents.

I am going slowly but surely forward with my farm. We have now a law that every family father, even immigrants, can purchase 160 acres of land for $10, if he will live on it and cultivate it himself. The land is tax free for five years.