[Letter of 1866 September 17]

[Letter of 1866 September 17]

1866-09-17

Death -- Religious aspects -- Christianity

African American soldiers

African Americans -- 19th century

Anderson, Caroline Still, 1848-1911 [recipient]

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Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632).

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0037

Phila, Sep 17th 1866/ My Dear Carrie,/ It is with/ regret, and feeling much depre/ ssed, that I announce to you/ the death of my beloved brother/ Alexander, my youngest brother,/ he died at Tallahassee, Fla, on/ the 27th of August, 8 oclock in/ the evening; he died happy,/ very happy; he wrote us a/ few lines in the act of dying/ in an ecstasy of joy, and hap/ piness; his death was a severe/ shock to us, we did not know/ that he was sick the last/ letter we received from him,/ he was well, and wrote God/ being his helper he would/ he would return home soon,/ but it was not God’s will. It is/ very painful for us to know/ that he died among stranger[sic]/ so far away from us and to/ be [too?] buried [so?] far away: it is/ hard to bear, although he/ was married, and had a wife/ to attend him in his illness,/ it is a great satisfaction for us/ to know that she did all/ she could for him. We did/ not hear of his death until/ last week, he died of Typhoid/ fever he is just 21 years old./ I do not know if you are/ acquainted with he use to be/ a very intimate friend of P[xx?]iph/ Adger. He enlisted in the first/ colored regiment raised in [Phili?]/ and that regiment was/ mustered not if service last/ November, when he return hom[?] / but having made an engage/ ment to teach; and being/ en[?] in the Freeman Freedmen/ Bureau he went back to/ Florida, and there died./ He was beloved, and respected/ by all who knew him; he/ was a dear affectionate brother,/ and a dutiful son; and /his death is regreted[sic] by all,/ and more than all he was/ a sincere Christian so our/ loss is his gain. Hoping/ to hear soon and that this/ will find you well./ I remain your sincere/ Friend R. Bascom/