Good evening, list, I've finally gotten around to complete the letters. I will send them out piecemeal so that you all have time to enjoy them. They are quite remarkable. (To friends on the Clearfield list: I have just come across some Civil War era letters sent to me by Brenda Wisbey. They are applicable to both Centre and Clearfield County, and thus are sent to both lists.) Here is what I know about the parties in the letters, to set the stage: The mother of the family was Jane (Steele) Glenn, born 4 Feb 1806, the widow of Robert Glenn, who died in Clearfield County, PA, on 4 May 1841, and mother of four children, John Wesley Glenn, James H. Glenn and Martin S. Glenn (twins, born 1839), and a daughter, Hannah. At the outbreak of the war she was a poor lady living in Millheim, Centre County, with her son John Wesley and his family. John Wesley Glenn, the oldest brother, was born on 26 Mar 1836 and was consequently a young man at the outbreak of the war. In 1860 he had become married to Susanna Houser, a young maiden from Houserville, PA. It was to him that most of the letters were addressed. On 28 Nov 1861, he and his wife became the parents of a son, named Elmer Ellsworth after the man considered the first casualty of the War. This son, referred to as Col. Ellsworth in the letters, was apparently affectionately doted upon by his uncles in the letters. The twin boys, Martin "Mart" S. and James H., were born September 8th, 1839 in Clearfield County, PA. Records indicate that Martin went to work as early as 1854 in the iron works in order to support his widowed mother (his father having died before his second birthday). Together, on 20 May 1861, they enlisted in Co. A, 45th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, under the direction of Col. John I. Curtin. The company was recruiting in Milesburg, Centre County. Records indicate that some of the letters were lost and thus this is not a complete trail of correspondence, but is enough to serve as evidence of the service and thoughts of two of our "Centre County boys," and their concern for their Mother, Brother, and family. As their sister Hannah is omitted in the letters, one can only assume that she died prior to the War. Some of the terms are not readily understood, perhaps; particularly, some of the military engagements briefly described could be written about in volumes. To anyone having insight on these battles or events, I would most appreciate it if you'd share it with me and the list. Without further adieu, we will take you back 140 years now (almost to the day!) to December 5th, 1861, at Fortress Monroe, where the boys James and Mart had just received their first paycheck . . . Fortress Monroe Dec 5th / 61 Dear Brother We were payed off yesterday and I enclose $50 fifty dollars of United States money which is better than gold from the fact it draws Interest $25 of which is mine and $25 Marts. We were paid from the time the Geovernor your Capt C. his com from the 16th of August. We will be payed of again on the first of Jan. Then we can send $50 more home. The money we expect you to use if mother needs any let her have it. But I have a some money yet and will send her some every time I write. So if the letter be lost it wont be much lost. We will continue to send you our money as long as we stay in the service and all we ask of you is to use the money, and when we get home for to have it in such a shape so that we can get it aready. And start up farming stronger than ever. We mean to settle down if we ever get home and if not the money is ures and mothers. I send the money with our old Mr. Gibson, Rev, our Chaplain, who is going home. I am in an awful hurry for we are going to leave this place in three or four hours when we land I shall write and tell you where it is. Write soon your letters will be forwarded. No more. Yours, J H Glenn ===== MORE TO FOLLOW IN FUTURE EMAILS . . . STAY TUNED. Justin Justin Kirk Houser Genealogist/Researcher of Central PA and Beyond Main Lines: Houser, Breon, Shawley, Ranio/Hrynio (and others) President, BAHS Class of 2003 Student Representative, BASD Board of Education Listowner, PACENTRE-L@Rootsweb.com Historian, Schürch Association of North America (specialty Central PA lines) Member, Valley View United Methodist Church "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"