Apr 07, 2022 - Sale 2600

Sale 2600 - Lot 69

Price Realized: $ 688
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 300 - $ 400
(CIVIL WAR--ILLINOIS.) Carrie E. Weir. Charming letters from an Illinois teacher to her soldier pen pal. 7 Autograph Letters Signed to friend Marcus Walker of the XX Corps Ambulance Corps; various sizes, minor wear. Most with original stamped and canceled envelopes. Elizabeth, IL, 1864-1865
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Additional Details

Caroline Elizabeth "Carrie" Weir (1840-1883) taught school in rural Elizabeth, IL and wrote frequently to her brother Lt. Frank Weir of the 96th Illinois Infantry, about to embark on the Atlanta Campaign. One of those letters went astray and was found by ambulance driver Marcus Walker (1843-1922) of the 141th New York Infantry, who wrote a joking response in which he pretended to know her friends. This began a charming correspondence which extended over the last year of the war. This lot consists of 7 of her letters to Marcus.

In her first letter on 8 March 1864, she expresses her love of teaching: "Don't really feel at home any place more than in the school house with a lot of motley urchins swarming around me." She also announces that "you wrote to a girl about 5 ft 3 in. in height, rather heavy, blue eyes, dark brown or almost black hair & altogether I am about as good looking as any other half-sensible person." On 6 April, she inquires "Are you good at playing ball? I had a good game with the scholars today morn. I never played before, but I like it. I like almost anything that is fun." On 5 May she writes "I am a real farmer's girl, like to be out romping around, can plant & husk corn, work in the garden & milk the cows & like nothing better that to get on a wild horse that will run away 2 or 3 times during a 5 mile ride." On 5 July she notes that her soldier brother was wounded in the face, but was back on duty. On 7 March 1865 she writes "I am learning a new piece to play when the boys come home. You must come here too when your time is out & I will play & sing it for you. It is called 'The Soldier's Return.' It is very pretty." In her final letter, 12 July 1865, she describes the grand reception for the 96th Illinois held in Galena, with dancing, singing, two 80-foot tables for the soldiers, 2000 guests, and "one cake made to represent Lookout Mountain."

We would very much like to report that Carrie and Marcus were wed later that year. However, she married later that year to a farmer named Robert Willson; Marcus married Belle Rose in 1872 and raised a family in his home town of Avoca, NY.