Envelope with postal information is not available.

Docket: Nannie Hope

Dear Nannie, Dear Miss
It is with the greatest pleasure that I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines in answer to your much welcome letters I received of the 10th and 28th of Dec. & 13th of Jan. Which gave me much pleasure to hear from you. I started a letter the 12th of this inst a few weekes before I received yours of the 10th Dec. The two last letters that I wrote to you, you had not received when you wrote your last. I got them two envelops you sent. I would have written to you sooner but I had no paper envelops nor stamps and no money to get them with, yours of the 13th came to hand 24th, that bargin you spoke of concerning writting letters every two weekes I would be keen to make that kind of a bargin if I had writting material if you will send me paper envelops & stamps I will write as often as you wish if that is every week the lack of writing material is all that is the matter. Write often & give me all the nuse tell me who Thomas Byrd is, & tell who all of the neighbors is at home, the nuse you heard about us all being out of prison here is a mastake. I don’t know how it is at other prisones. I want you to write who you wish me to direct my letters in care of whether any one or not. Nanie I would rather see you than any one else in the world. I could tell you more in an houre than I could write in a week. I read those three lest lines up and down and if you love me like I love you there is nothing can tare our love in too Many watters cannot quench love, Neither can the floods drawn it.
This leaves me well hoping it will reach and find you well }

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Notes:

The above letter was written by Benjamin Williams Ellison to his sweetheart back home in Bradley County, Tennessee. B.W. was released from Fort Deleware one month later in a prisoner exchange, however he was recaptured the following month and transported to Camp Chase, Ohio where he remained until the end of the war. He signed a loyalty oath on June 10th 1865 and was released to return home. He married Miss Nanie (Nancy Hope) in May 1866.

This letter was transcribed by Dail and David Reid (great grandsons of B.W. Ellison). To view the actual letter click here.

From the Collection of Dail and David Reid.
Provenance: a treasured family heirloom