Dear Ruth, I'm glad you've started transcribibing the Civil War letters and are willing to share them with us. In addition, I'm also glad you realized that Saratoga Co., NY, might be interested in their content also. In order to subscribe go to http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/NY/saratoga.html. Good girl and good work. vee ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ruth Barton" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 12:16 AM Subject: [FOLKS] Civil War letters > Well folks, I have started on the Civil War letters, got up to #17 out of > about 60. Someone went through and numbered them at some point and they > are numbered up through 64 but there are a few missing--of course. > > As always there are more questions than answers as I get into them. Let me > say right up front that I am NOT a genealogist--if anything I MIGHT be > called a "family historian." I am not as interested in straight line names > and dates as I am in "the rest of the story," sorry Paul Harvey. > > These letters are from a Luther WHEELER, written to his mother, Mrs. F. D. > WHEELER; and his brothers, Frank, Jr and Wendell. His father is still > alive but he rarely mentions him except to say he will be sending him > money. All are addressed: Saratoga Springs, New York--no street address > or anything. Guess it wasn't a very big place, maybe it still isn't. I > know nothing of New York at all. My niece who lives in NY says Saratoga > Springs is in Saratoga Co. Does anyone know if Saratoga Co has a list like > this and instructions to sub? > > At first I thought this man was not related to us in any way and wondered > how these letters came to be here in my ggrandmother HOUGHTON's things, now > I'm almost positive he was related some way. I had two ancestors who had > involvement in the Civil War, I think they were great grand > uncles--brothers of my great grandfather. One was in the Army and the > other apparently just went and took photographs--Ken Burns used some of his > pictures in his documentary. Luther mentions both of these men in his > letters calling one of them "uncle." I don't know if they were related or > just close family friends. I figure if I can get on a list for Saratoga > Co. I might be able to get some questions answered. Thanks for any help/ > suggestions. Ruth > -- > Ruth Barton > [email protected] > Dummerston, VT > >

Vee, Thanks for the info, I was sure you or someone on the list would know. I don't really mean to be so lazy and not look these things up myself but my computer is old and slow and I can only get a dialup connection out here in the boonies so I don't do much web searching. Usually I'll get almost to what I need and the computer will freeze up and I just give up in frustration. I have subbed to the Saratoga list and now I'll send off to them to see if I can get any more info about Luther. Letters sent to his mother are frequently addressed to his father with Esq on the end. I don't know if that means his father was a lawyer or not. So many questions, so few answers at this point. When I am done transcribing I'll post the letters. If many more are as faint as the one I started last night I'll be till doomsday transcribing them all. However, most have been fairly easy, his penmanship is good, his spelling excellent and the paper is in very good condition. I think this was before wood pulp based paper and rag paper lasts much better. Also the ink doesn't seem to be faded, just I think he used it very sparingly to make it last. Thanks again and I hope the Saratoga list is as good as this one. Ruth At 10:17 PM -0500 2/28/04, Vee L. Housman wrote: >Dear Ruth, > >I'm glad you've started transcribibing the Civil War letters and are willing >to share them with us. > >In addition, I'm also glad you realized that Saratoga Co., NY, might be >interested in their content also. In order to subscribe go to >http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/NY/saratoga.html. > >Good girl and good work. >vee -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT