Dear Mother

"Dear Mother"

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Charlotte Trittenbach Fryling

1811 - 1890

March 8th 1862

Dear Mother,

I take this opportunity of writing a few lines to let you know that I received your letter and was glad to hear that you all was well. We are all well and hoping when these few lines reach you .. I hope they will find you and all the rest enjoying the same good health. We was out into Washington day before yesterday to go to a General's funeral and it was pretty muddy in some places and it was nice and dry overhead. That was the first funeral that I was at and there was our Regiment and one Company of Artillery and one Company of Cavalry was to the funeral. It was the biggest crowd that I ever seen and the streets was crowded from one street to another and it was a pretty sight to see the pretty ladies. This was the first time that we was out into Washington pretty near all the winter and it done us good to see what we did see.

Mother, you don't tell me whether you have plenty to live on and if you don't, please tell me and the next time we get paid I will send more money to you .. for I don't expect to send any to "Old Jacob" (his grandfather) this time for I think I won't have a pair of boots and I must have some spending money left. I will send you ten dollars and the rest I will save. The boots is very dirty and if I could not afford them I would not get them but they say that we have to go into Washington to stand guard. Other regiments have to all go into Washington and that is our favorite as we will get the weather that is your favorite feel. I hope that it may continue the same good weather for I am tired of seeing this kind of weather. I don't know what kind of weather you have up there and know I crossed some too. Also these few lines leaves us all in good health. Write soon and tell me all the particulars.

Dear Mother, write soon. We all join in sending our love to you all. Tell "Hugh" to be a good boy and grow and write fast .. and when I get home .. we go up country. Tell "Angeline" to be a good girl and I will try to get her a present if I can find anything that will please her. Is "Steven" grown any or not. You know more at present, Dear Mother.

Good-bye .. Sisters and Brothers and Father and Mother. I am heavier now then I ever was before and feel better. Being a Soldier agrees with me now. Direct your letters to Wilson Fryling.

(1862 Signatures .. Wilson Fryling and his 2 Brothers .. Levi Fryling and Lawrence "Larry" Fryling)

On 1 June 1862 (only 85 days after this letter was written to his family in Bucks County, PA) .. Pvt. Wilson Fryling (Co. A, 104th PA Volunteers) .. succombed to his death at the age of 22 .. during the Battle of Fair Oaks, VA on 31 May 1862.

He never had the opportunity to take Hugh, his youngest brother, "up country".

Pvt. Wilson Fryling's letter made it back home to Pennsylvania.

He did not.

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