Chicago
Jan. 15, 1865
Dear John & Elizabeth,
It has been so long since I have heard from you that I began
to think that perhaps you would not write to me until I wrote to you, and so
here it goes after the same old style.
My hand has got a large poultice on and so you must excuse the writing. I have somewhat changed my place of business
since I wrote to you last. That is, I
think it is since I wrote to you last. I
am now taking charge of a mill on the west side, and the ___ name is Gage &
Soper, and I am now living at 148 West Taylor Street. We moved here week ago last Friday and rents
are very high here now. I am to pay
$25.00 per month for this. We are
thinking of renting the upstairs and that will bring our rent some lower.
I am in hopes before long to build me a house before
long. It has cost me a number of hundred
dollars and I have be here for rent alone. I don’t think that I told you that I bought
us some lots on West Lake Street and gave six hundred dollars for them and more
if I can save money enough to build a house on them. And I shall feel as though I considerably
rich. I don’t know when that will
be. And another thing I done this last summer,
I had my life insured for $2,000 and now if I was to die any day my family will
not be left penniless. I don’t know, but
I suppose that you don’t approve of life insurance, but I think that it is very
good sometimes.
I was quite pleased to hear that you had been exempt from
the draft and I suppose from the last call.
I presume that we will have another draft here after the 15 of Feb., but
let it come, I don’t care much. I would
like them to draft until every copperhead [1] in the city is obliged
to go.
I had a letter from father & mother a few days ago. Father is about the same, but mother had a
very bad cold in her head and they said they had not heard from you for some time. Father said that James is married again and
is in New York taking charge of a mill there.
I suppose that I shall hear more from him in father’s next letter. You must write some and let me know how you
get along, etc.
From yours,
Edwin Benjamin
You must excuse my mistakes.
EB
[1]The Copperheads were a vocal group of
Democrats located in the Northern United States of the Union who opposed the
American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the
Confederates. Republicans started calling antiwar Democrats "Copperheads",
likening them to the venomous snake. The Peace Democrats accepted the label,
reinterpreting the copper "head" as the likeness of Liberty, which
they cut from copper pennies and proudly wore as badges.
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