Tamerson Z Carlisle, 27 Nov 1863

Buchanan Mich Nov 27 1863

Dear Mother
We had a thank-
s giving sermon preached here
to day by Brot. Hoag. not a great
many out, but few to prayer
meeting yet _____ he to claim
the blessing a very good meeting.

Your letter came on
Tuesday eve in reference to
purchasing things in Chicago
I can Numerate or name (at
least what I would get)

Bell has nothing to wear on
her head for nice I say nothing
she had a little merino bundle
but I do not want her to were it
get her a nice white leg horn
hat & velvet ribon to trim
with and I will trim it we have
some strings short will do

page 2

she ought to have something
to wear round her for nice you
can get some kind of ladies
cloth I should think that
would be the cheapest and shoes
a nice pair (no. 10) she has common
things, I got a nice clasp for
her beads but when I came home
her beads were burned

I wish that you
would get a table spread
black & red good size, and
a lamp get a freilly one,
some cloth for a __ __
I want a pair of nice shoes
____ ___ what kind you
would like some nice gloves
if he'd n__ and Mary needs some
__ have more things ____
__ ___ bowl and more things
____ what ____ __ got here
I wish that you could get

page 3

you a black band cloth coat
get the cloth in Chicago and
1yd of black silk to trim it with
why would it not be a good ___
to take your ____ ___ __
Bell a dress & cloak and
get you a nice dress of
some kind black silk would
be the most durable you have
earned the money now get
something nice for your-
self if you do not you
never will have any we
have a good living much
better than at some other
times so mother when
people write say it is your
business if you so not
get a black silk get a nice
winter dress do not get a
anything for Fannie unless
it is a ___ dress she needs
one she is earning money

page 4

and can pay you for it
she has had more things
than the rest get some
nice things for yourself
even if you do not choose
to make them now I wish
that you would could get a large
____ there you can buy
five just as well as one we need
some more sheets. Pa needs
some slippers he is very well
provided for. if you get Bell
a white hat it will do for ____
there they are worn more now. we need
some table cloths people bring me
things long one at a time so we
will _____ without buying if we only
wait we had some ____ _____
and vegetable dishes one or two platters
if things of this kind are sent in I
will write but Ii think more will be sent
get thimbles & I wish we had a wash bord
& pitcher, we have an idea that Uncles
folks will send a box of things, write often
I hope that it will not be long before
you will come home.
Mr. ___ has married a couple

page 5

since he came here first a
wedding then a funeral
_____ Blake died two weeks a
go and already her babe weighed 11
lbs. both were buried in the
same coffin she was sick
2 1/2 days they tell a good
storey for her said that she
died happy her _____ relig-
ion then others say that
she was miserable and said
nomething anout it Brot. Eldrich
preached the funeral sermon
Maria Black (not Mrs. McKee )
is at home very sick dangerously
so. so it is _each pleasure
_____ _ ____ too. clouds
dim even lifes brightest hours
Mary White is married to Mr. Mc-
Intire of White ____. Lourinda
H-----il-- to ____ Sarlsbery

Page 6

Rubena Terrier to Horace Strong
Sarah Franier where I used
to board to Mr. Huston and
to day at the Passonage a
Widower was married to a
young girl 17 he being 28 years
her seignure he has 3 childrene
and she is his 3rd wife Aunt
Julia's family are well she
wonders why you do not write
her I told her that you were
very busy Mrs Harrison's is so anxious to have you come home, we are trying
to have better ____ing ___ __
church and what a time willMrs. ___kill and a few others
but we ___ to procede. Mrs Hoag
is our _____ ___ I can
barely get a long with the
work it takes me all the time
to do the house work we have
conciderable compnay most ___
however at meal times

page 7

Orville soon thinks of ____
is going to sell ___ ___
various ____ expects to get
the agency for selling the
history ___ the rebellion for
their county - & ____. he is
__ the same it makes
me more work to wait on
him but it will have to be
endured. The Sabbath ___
is quite s----ing. Mr Johns
or Miller has the Bible class
I have a large class of boys
& girls more methodist people
seem to be coming in, we
wxpect some new ___ __ __
___ the Sab. D. this week
well I must close I have
got Well fired up quite ___-
__able. so good night.
Yours Truly
T Z Carlisle

page 8

Father ___ ___inished ____ting I
thought to make out the _____ement big sending
a line We are usualy well Bell was quite sick last
night but all is right to day Fannie & Mary are
still absent we looked for Fannie home on the
train Sat. Eve however she did not come
I have written for Mary we are comfortably fixed
up now except myself I have just got the rest
se_dy to __ when Mary comes I shall do the
sewing. Mrs. Grain [?] gave Bell a hat, hence you will
not need to get her one if we wait lomg enough
people will send us what we want I would
not pay out any money for sheets or table cloths
as I write you as fast as they come in I will
write. I hope that you can come ere long.
Uncles folks want me to come and spend the
winter there. Mrs. Harrisonn says tell you that she
____ __ her general health is decidedly better.
withe the exception of her eye the cancer is getting
well she used a copprerass whary she has not been able
to write any letters for several months on account of
her eye. I wish that you could find time to write her
she says that she misses your letters very much, sometimes
our church almost sinks for want of eficient ____
_____ the Adventists are using a great deal of ____ ___
to keep things along they should __ ___ ___ ____
their strength ___ I dont wonder) some days I have
a dozen calls the coverage __wene is from six to eight I get
along pretty well but it takes me nearly all the time
to do the house work. Aunt Julia has a great many tings
that would be of use to use but she is careful not to give
much. Today has been very cold.

[paper turned, wriiten across top of page]

There
were a
good many
out __
church
I wish
that you
would
bring home
that coinfiscasted
______
and
every thing
also that
we need
Mrs. Gentef_rield
brought house things
as for
securing fre__
for fa__
kindness to ___
you wanted
_arn _ __ to see Se___
one valueable article
_____
therefor
nothing ____
I cinsever [?]
the usual ___ of ____
I hope by our will __ __ forever
what did your think
of y__ & ___ regard
Yo o d__ing __.

Tamerson

Obviously, I really struggled with this one. Tamerson's handwritting is  very pretty but hard to read. There are other letters by her and I did not struggle with them as much as I did this one. I must have know that it would be difficult, I took 23 images, almost three per page. I will revisit this letter at a later time and see if I can do better.

I did not find a letter from Hannah asking about shopping in Chicago.

Horace F Strong married Robina A Terriere, 13 Nov 1862. Dibeans marriage index for Berrien County.

William Huston married Sarah E Frame, 6 Nov 1862. Dibeans marriage index for Berrien County.

I have written previously about the Buchanan Fire of 1862.

For more see: Carlisle Family Letters

Carlisle, Tamerson Z. (Buchanan, MI) to “Dear Mother”
[Hannah Glover Carlisle]. Letter. November 1862. Digital Images 1-23.
Privately held by Charlotte Grabowski, Orlando, FL. 2012.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1862,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]