Otego June 9th 1865

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Dear Brother

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Yesterday we received a letter from Mary enclosing one from you which was the first news we had heard from you in almost two years. We had almost begun to despair of ever hearing from you again, when we were made very glad by hearing that you were alive and well. We live here on the old place yet. Lucius pays high rent and a big tax on it and I hope he will keep it while ma lives for no other place will ever be home to her. This dreadful war has made enormous taxes but every thing else has been high so taxes were paid about as easy as usual. Lucius’ tax was 210 dollars and some cents. I hope the war is about over but I spose the tax will not be much lower for some years for we have an enormous debt that has got to be paid and a deep debt of gratitude to the brave hearts and strong hands that have been the means of saving the life of the nation. But I am selfish enough to be thankful that you were far from home, away from the strife and the turmoil that has raged for the last four years, for it you had been east of the mountains you would have been one of the first to have answered your country’s call to rush into the fray. But now I would like to have you at home. You have probably heard of the foul murder of our President and all the rest of the infernal plots resorted to by the rebels to destroy the nation, but thank God they have not succeeded. We have still a country, though bought with the blood of tens of thousands of her sons. Austin Murwin was mortally wounded in that last battle before Petersburgh, was shot through the bowels and lived six days. His remains were brought home and buried by the side of his father. I wrote to you that Barlow Murwin was dead but perhaps you never got the letter. He has been dead two years. Fordyce Waterbury is still in the army - he is in Tenn., was well the last we heard from him. We heard from brother George not long ago. He and his family were well. They are building a railroad from Albany to Binghamton. It is finished to Cobleshill - expect to have the cars running to Oneonta next fall. The baddies are at work on the other side of the river - they have a shantee built in the lower corner of Mr. Hyde’s orchard. Albert Hyde is living in Otego village, the rest of the Hyde family have all left the country. Orrin Houghton’s family are all well: Helen is teaching school, Henry Houghton has gone to Iowa, Howard is dead. He enlisted into the army, was going down the Mississippi on a transport, fell overboard and was drowned. Mr. Reynolds lives in Franklin, John Edgerton, Bill Waters and a few more Seceshionests have formed an Episcopal Church in Franklin. They wanted a church where they didn’t preach politics nor religion. They had one preacher prayed for the success of our arms. They packed him off and got another so the story goes. You have been gone so long I don’t know what to write to interest you for the old neighbors are most all gone and the gossip of the new ones you would not care for. Frank Birdsall is dead - he was under Sheridan, was taken prisoner and dragged off to Salsbury. In attempting to escape was shot. The Southern fellows will have a long account to settle one of these days for their cruelty to their prisoners; and Dan Birdsall lives in Oneonta with Lurissa. Mrs. Northrup’s folks have moved to Franklin - they have bought the place where Mr. Codman used to live. Charles is dead - he moved to New Jersey, didn’t live but a short time after he got there. He had the Erisipylas and died very suddenly. Cynthia is back with her folks, as odd as ever. Old Mr. Purlis and Nathan are both dead. Ezechiel Tracy is in Ill. Bill lives in Otego, Levi is in the army - he was a pretty reckless boy. Clarissa is married and lives in Otego and her mother lives with her. Bill Corly and Jeff are both in the army, so you see that lots of not very young men are in the army. We have had a great deal of wet weather this spring but it was getting pretty dry, but to day it is raining. Lucius is married. You recollect Nate Potter, well it is his daughter that he has married. She is twenty years younger than he is. Don’t you think that is queer. Lucius talks of building on his place next summer then I suppose we shall have to move, but I don’t want to go there right in sight of home. It will be hard to leave the old place but if we were going out of sight and hearing it would not be quite so hard. Seems to me Elvira is in Ill. she is staying with Mary this summer. I don’t know whether she will come home this fall or not. I spose the girls will keep her with them if they can. I’ve been wanting her to come home so I could go back to Ill. but I don’t know as I should go while ma lives for I never should expect to see her again if I should go so far from home for she is an old lady and rather feeble. Milton Murwin is in the army - he is in the 144th Ky. Volunteers. That regiment has been very fortunate - it never has been in a big fight, one that would be called a big fight in these days of gigantic battles. That regiment will soon be home I suppose for the ten would be out in August if they were not disbanding the army, but many of them will be but the wreck of themselves, broken in health and maimed. Stephen Bradly lives in Otego village, Daniel is in the western part of the state, little Dan Birdsall lives in Otego - he is a cooper. I don’t know much about your Franklin friends so can’t tell much. Mr. Thrall lives in Franklin, yet so does Sire Goodrich. Now write soon. If you knew how rejoiced we were to hear from you you would write oftener. Ma is going to write in a few days. We would write oftener but you are wandering round so much we don’t know where to write.

T Chase