WAR AND PEACE

This is a letter from the civil war that my grandmother kept in her safe deposit box for years. Cyrus Lathrop was my great great great grandfather. There are more letters but this one moved me so much with the sweet things he says about his wife and children and the love of his country. His writing is sometimes eligible but the interpreter did their best. (I was relieved to know that he was a Yank!!)


Camp lamean December the 11 the year of the lord 1862

Dear Wife it tis with pleasure that I right to you to let you know that I am well at present and hope that this will find you on the same blessing I right to you this evening to let you no that I received youre letter last night dated the 5th and was glad to hear that you was well I was very sorry to hear that you are so dissatisfied you say that I am needed at home so bad to see to the
boys I want to no if there is anything peticuler the mater with them right and let me know you say that money has not come yet I am afraid that it is lost. But if is I can't help it for sent it on the 16 of December nearly a month ago but it may come yet I will send some more as soon as we We are looking for the Every day then i will send you 15 pr 10 dollars i will try to send it by
some one that is going home if that gets there that i have sent then i will send for by mail cindicy i would like to see you very much but i can't see you for it is very hard to get leave to come home but i have the pranice of geting a pass to come home me set spring whether i gottin it or not there is great talk of england and france helping the south if they go i have but little faith of this were coming to a close for several years fi they do their will be great blood shed such as never been seen in the world i am to frade that these that these united states has seen their best days nothing but the over ruling fear of god will save them from ruin i am going to extend by the flag of my county and if that star spangle baner seases to wave shall sease to live at wave sease to wave but I will die im trying to keep them uip if england does set in i don't know when i will get home for i expect that tem they will need every man at his post and my dear wife I hopt that we will see each other some time before we die but dear wife if we See each other hear on earth I hope we will meat again in heaven where parting is no more but where we shall strike glad On that suny banks of deliverence where we will be forever blessed I am determined to meet you their my dear wife i still think that i will get tp see you and the children tell that sweet little girl that i would like to see mighty well Marian I have not forgot you I remember them rosey sheeks of youres them large baling eyes of often causes me to reflect on days past. Zachry Taylor don't think that I have for got you for I often think of you I often think that I would like to be at home with you but remember dear son that our contry to being run over with rebels and tarces and your father is On the service of our country and I want you to bee good boys and help you mother she says that she is troubled so much it is not worth while for meeta right any more I lack words to esepres my feeling to you the troubles of my country and the thought of a wife and
four children that is I have left at home give my respects to all so no more at this time but remain your friend till death.

Good by wife and children for this time
Cyrus Lathrop to cindiey and children

This is a copy of a telegram sent by my uncle to my mom and grandfather. He was not yet married to my Aunt Fritz. Sierra Vista, AZ was originally named Frye.

Hamp was a paratrooper in the US Army 82nd Airborne Infantry. He didn't talk too much about the war. He was in the Battle of the Bulge in Germany and said it was so cold, the water in their canteens froze and burst.

One time when he was in France they were being fired upon and he had just moved from a window and the soldier who took his place was shot and killed. (I have a photo of this building but don't know exactly where it is.)

Mom

My father was in the Air Force and my brother in the Army. It's a wonder coming from such a military family that I came out to be such a pacifist. Not completely a pacifist, if someone punched me in the nose I'd surly punch them back!! I won't bore you with my vehement distaste for the Iraq war or my desperate desire to leave the middle east all together, I'll save that for another day. I'm proud of Cyrus and Hamp but hope that we as nations and humans can come up with better ways to deal with our problems.