Autograph Letter Signed, Harmony Grove [Maryland] undated, circa 1865, to her friend Mary

octavo, 4 pages, in good clean legible condition.

Hanna, a young woman teaching school in Harmony Grove, Frederick County, Maryland (now a ghost town), writes her friend Mary describing a sermon eulogizing the late Abraham Lincoln, a visit to a nearby Civil War Hospital, and reflections on the terrible loss and devastation resulting from the war.

"Mary Darling,

… it is nearly school time. I am now teaching three miles from Frederick & board at brother Tommy's. … I am quite well, but I have got the "blues"

I was in Frederick last Thursday & heard a splendid sermon delivered by Rev. Williams of the Presbyterian church, on the life & death of our lamented chief Magistrate. He showed how he was fitted for the great work by poverty, toil & danger, he then described his conduct through the great struggle, repeating an extract from one of his messages. It was grand, he then spoke of the soldiers & described a farewell scene, showing the heroism of our boys & the self denying spirit of our patriotic women. There sat the weather beaten veteran, who had been fighting bravely for four long weary years, no doubt he felt a thrill of pleasure as he reflected that his labors were at last appreciated. After partaking of a sumtious [sic] dinner, we proceeded to the Hospitals. It is a lovely place, flowers of all kinds meet your eye on every side, indeed everything possible to make the poor fellows forget the din of war is done. All looked happy & contented. I saw several who had gotten their discharges & had already donned citizens attire, long linen coats, light pants. Now they are homeward bound. The sick & wounded looked happy, & well they might, for is not the war over? I sighed as I glanced at the cripples, yet even they were lively for they were that day receiving a nation's thanks.

Hannah Story's sister is married He, Mr. Green, partly paid Hannah's school bills & expressed his intention of doing a brother's part by her, but Miss Mary speaks in a very detrimental manner concerning her character. I can not credit the report however. If the poor girl could get a school in some quiet neighborhood in the country where no one knew of her brother's disgrace, it would suit her much better than Washington where so many temptations surround the poor & unprotected.

Alice Warfield is married to a Baptist minister. I saw their photos. He is not very handsome.

I had a rebel beau last night, one of Lee's parolled men. He is handsome, elegantly dressed, very intelligent & one of the most finished gentleman, I ever met, but he calls the late traitor band "our army" That satisfied me, but he is to go with, or rather take me to White Rock. Have no fear, a man who has lifted his arm against chis country can be nothing to me. …

Mary, suspense is over at last. Mr. House died in a dirty hole in Georgia of disease brought on by starvation & exposure on the 20th of August 1864. May God comfort his mother & sister. We have peace but what a price have we paid for it, our inheritance consists of blasted hopes, blackened homesteads, ruined land, broken constitutions, corrupted morals & desolated firesides. Graves are scattered all over our land, graves of some of America's noblest sons. Men who were reared in affluence have laid for days on the burning sands without a drop of water & have died surrounded by hungry famishing wretches, with no one to drop a tear on their cold remains or even close their eyes in death, even then they must lay in the scorching rays of the sun … May God forgive the instigators of this hellish deed, but I never can … Hanna"