| Title: | Abraham Irvine, USA, to Joseph J Irvine, Keadymore, Co Armagh |
|---|---|
| ID | 1519 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Irvine, Abraham/11 |
| Year | 1864 |
| Sender | Irvine, Abraham |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | army officer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | USA |
| Destination | Keadymore, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Irvine, Joseph |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 2135: Copied by Permission of T.G. Irvine, Esq., Keadymore, Mountnorris, Co. Armagh. #TYPE EMG Abraham Irvine [Virginia, U.S.A.] to Joseph James Irvine, Keadymore, Mount Norris, Co Armagh, 4 June 1864. Writer was to Take Part in the Battle of the Wilder |
| Archive | Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 8905056 |
| Date | 04/06/1864 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 22:06:1989 LT created 05:11:1990 CD input 05:11:19 |
| Word Count | 1198 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter property of Thomas G. Irvine, Keadymore. Letter from Abraham Irvine to his brother Jos. [Joseph?] James Irvine Keadymore, Mountuous [Mountnorris?], Armagh Written 4/6/1864, presumably the impending battle was the "Wilderness" Virginia between Lee and Grant. General grant had huge losses as did the Confederates The writer was never heard from again by his relatives in Ireland, so presumed killed in this battle which lasted nearly a full month. Head Qrs [Quarters?] In The Field June 4th 1864 Mr J J Irvin [Irvine?] Dear Brother After an absence & a silence of long weary Years, I am seated upon my "camp Stool"; pen in hand, on purpose of informing you, that I still, through the mercy of a kind providence enjoy a place amongst the inhabitants of earth; Through all those years of silence past I have not forgotten for a single moment the land, the friends, the companions & associates, of my childhood & early Youth nor has ought of my affection for or interest in, those absent friends been lost, the while; A detail of my Sorrows, my desasters [disasters?], my perils & defeats or my Subsequent Successes, Victories & triumphs; form no part of my present purpose in this writing revelations, & explinations [explanations?] must remain reserved, for a long hoped for, & Still much desired occasion in the future of my history; The many sad changes, that time may have affected Since I stood for the last time upon the hill overlooking the old house at home, I cannot realize, As in fancy or in dream I Join my-self to the group by the fireside, no one is missing and yet reason teaches me, as does experience also, that these f[anc?]ies, these fondly cherished hopes, these intense desires of my hearts fond fancy, may all be unwarranted & false the loved, the cherished, may have fallen Father may have fallen, Mothers heart may have seaced [ceased?] to beat, no anxious sigh heave again her bosom or prayer the dictate of a mothers fond affection any more ascend for the protaction [protection?], safty [safety?] or return, of her long, lone, wandering boy, Mothers memory, Oh! how precious, when the heart all bruised & mangled, when expitations [expectations?] crossed & hope lies bleeding prostrate, dead, how precious is the memory of a good a faithful Mother, as it comes all its hallowd influences & powers over the tried & tempted Soul, it encourages every good purpose, every virtious [virtuous?] resolve is strengthened & promoted until in the Strength that Jesus lends, faith claims a heritage in God which the heart exclaims "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" The enclosed Photographs, will reveal to you that I am some way connected with the Army, Though a stranger in a strange land, I have ever since the [inogesation?] of our present duel war held a commission of respectable Rank, amongst the defenders of freedom, the champions of Liberty, I have mingled in the Strife of twenty two hard contested battle fields my Sword has drunk the blood of those enemies of human[ity?] of Liberty, & God, who would tare [tear?] to attoms, [atoms?] the free, the glorious institutions of this great land, In turn my blood has stained the Sabre of the foe, no desire have I now had I the ability to give you a conseption [conception?] of my toils my cares or the numerous dangers to which I have been exposed since I have had a Command in the Army (my men with few exceptions are Americans) In retrospect of the mysterious providence through which I have been led my heart exclaims hither to hath the Lord [exal?]ted me, his right hand hath sustained me; And in all future time, thoug [though?] professed friends prove false, though earthly hopes fail, though the desires of any heart remain unrealized, to God, through the merits of his Son, Shall I ever look, as the strength of my heart, & my portion forever I would love to give You an outline of my history since I last wrote you, but this must be reserved for another occasion, this much I will say, as it is due you from me that however I may blush over with pride, which drove me into adventure, & prompted a cesation [cessation?] of correspondence between us for so long a time, When you understand all, You, nor my other surviving kinsman will have cause to blush for my conduct in view of the relationship subsisting between us, As before indicated I cannot realize the many changes which time must have worked in the relationship, as well as in the personal appearances of my old friends & acquaintances of Keadymore [Con?] Cragens & of my relations Uncle Aunts, Nephew, Cousin and mother &c: of Tuly allen [Tullyallen?], many of whom it may be, have gone to Their reward, beyond the river, or become so changed by the work of time, as to be no longer recognisable by me did I enjoy the privilige of a meeting with them; [?] My heart crouds [crowds?] innumerable questions upon my brain, questions which it longs to have answered, but I remember, that while this brief epistle carries the knowledge of my present safty [safety?], to the home of early-fond recollections, & to the friends who are still precious to memory. no cheering responce [response?] however anxious I may be to hear from you, can reach me, now, though the time may not be far distant, when I will be permitted to look out upon the beauteous landscape whare [where?] first the light of heaven beamed upon my eye and my voice [?] vibrates [?] the hills of my native Island; But while I write thus, I have not wholy [wholly?] forgotten, the circumstances preclude a mistake, that sanguinary work is before me, tomorrow we meet the enemy again skermishing [skirmishing?] is now going on, an effort on our part to feel the enemies position that our asault [assault?] tomorrow may be the more successfully conducted Your interest & sympathies so far as you have any in the present struggle, & crisis of American afairs [affairs?]; Are all with us I am proswaded [persuaded?], And I am astonished that any european Should from any mean Synester [sinister?] motive become an [abetter?] of the highest crime against the best Government that the world ever new [knew?], I am sorry, that the Government under which I was born, Should act so [biased?] a part, in her efforts to destroy the principle of self Government those principles, will live on, despite the efforts of [love?] Oligarchy & the envy of European [despots?], Yes live on when rotten despositions [despotisms?] are falling and crumbling to atoms Yet this proud [?ow?] waving by my [?ot] door, be restored to those [domes?] & [fired?] [from?] which [be a?] [?] has [?] & wickedly draged [dragged?] it, then let th[at?] nation tremble whose heart has devised mischief against the Land of the free & the home of the [brave?] with her million brave dauntless and discipled [disciplined?] Army & her Strong Navy let despotism every whare [where?] tremble, & they who would be free rejoice But I cann[ot?] [dwell?] on this subject now my sheet is nearly filled, & I wish to say in conclusion, that should I live to the end of the Rebellion, you will hear from me again Should I fail in this hope, I wish to be thought of as a friend to humanity & [liberty?] an uncompromising enemy of despotism & opressin [oppression?] [?] [?] desired for your [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] & affectionate feelings for all Most sincearly [sincerely?] Your Affectionate Bro [Brother?] Abram Irvine Mr Jos. Jas. Irvine Esq. [Joseph James Irvine, Esquire?] |
