LETTERS OF JOHN D. MOLER, Letter from Henry Moler to his sister Hannah, 20 April 1862 Transcribed and submitted by Marysue Eulitz, (c) 1999 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Columbus Ohio April 20th 1862 Sister Hannah, As it has been some time since I wrote you I thought you might perhaps like to read a line or two from the undersigned as Artemus Ward call it. Will I presume you will be a little surprised to get a letter from me directed from Columbus as you doubtless very well know that I am a resident of Kansas, but you know strange things happen these days. Well I left here about a month ago to hunt a home in the far west and so far succeeded that I came back for my better half to take her out but will not get ready to start before the middle of May. I suppose as a matter of course you would like to know where I am a going to locate and what I expect to engage in. Well I expect to pitch my tent in Garnet, the County seat of Anderson County, Kansas, and expect to go into the grocery business in partnership with my brother in law Frank Crum. Garnet is about ten miles from where John lives and a very pretty quiet healthy town of about five hundred people and is increasing in population pretty fast, so I expect to do a very good business with John's influence. John's family were quite well when I left there about a week since. The children have not grown but very little since they left Ohio. Nealy has not forgotten her aunt Hannah yet but talks about her considerable. John is not near as well fixed yet as he was in Ohio, but says he will be soon, but I doubt it considerable. I went to the Post Office for him one day while there and got him a letter from you. It seemed a little strange to think that a letter from away down in Maryland, a distance of nearly two thousand miles could find its way away off nearly to the rocky coast of the Pacific, but it was even so and came to the conclusion that Uncle Sams domains were quite extensive. It is considerable of an undertaking to pull up stakes and leave your native State and all of your friends and relatives and leave for a strange country and strange peoples to associate with, but when a person is satisfied they can do better by doing so, they can afford to put up with some privations. You need not think because I move to Kansas you will never get to see me any more for I expect to visit you just as often as ever whether you visit me or not, for if I do well I expect to spend more a visiting my friends and relatives than I could were I to stay here. I wish it were in your power to make us a visit before we leave for the west, but I suppose it is not, so I will have to promise to make you a visit just as soon as it is in my power to which I hope won't be long. Give my love to Brother Tom and tell him he had better make a trip to Missouri and then conclude to settle there and live pretty near neighbors with John and I suppose he thinks he will take a few days to think about it before he starts. Remember me to all of my friends in your neighborhood and should any feel like writing to me I would be pleased to hear from them. Our folks are all very well. Father talks of visiting you before long and I think he will. Mary sends her love and would be very glad to get a letter from you. Remember me to Susie, my favorite of all your children and tell her to write to me when she learns to write. Hoping to hear from you soon, I will close for the present. Hoping this may find you all very well and that you may long remain so. Write soon. Good Bye. As ever your brother, H.C. Moler Excuse defects for I have written in greate haste.