Coyle

          Betty Helf and I  have determined that the letter must have been written by  Sarah Coyle Pond ; Sarah was the only one with a "baby" in this time period.   This letter has provided some valuable clues as to the structure of  Martin Coyle's family.  The recipient was most likely one of her Purdum cousins back in Ross Co, OH. -- Tim Coyle

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Sunday August 16th 1863
Respected Cousin
          After so long a time I have seated myself for the purpose of answering your letter it has been a longtime since I got it and it aught to have been answered sooner but neglect is the only excuse that I have to offer that being the case it is securely worth while to ask for pardon we are all well at present and I sincerely hope that you may all be enjoying the same blessing. Mothers family are all well. Cyrus has worked at home this summer and tended a good crop of corn that is as good as the season would permit the far part of the season ws so very dry that people began to despair of raising anything but for the last two weeks we have had very pleasant rains so I think we will have tolerable good crops after all. Mothers family is quite small to what it used to be. Cyrus, Eliza,  Ed and  Ella are all that are at home now amd Eliza works out part of the time. I do not believe that any of us ever wrote to you about Edward having his hand taken off two years ago this fall. He had his hand caught in a cane mill and mashed so bad that he had to have it taken off about half way between his wrist and elbow. Although it was his right hand he can do almost anything that anybody else can do. I intended to have sent you a sample of his writing but forgot to get it when I was there. At the time of his hand was taken off he did not know all of his letters but this summer he beat his teacher at writing. Accidents are not uncommon here especially with the Coyle family. Uncle Frank's son Alexander was killed this week. Him and two other young men were together riding pretty fast, some say running their horses, when in going down a little bank his horse stumbled threw him over his head and then fell on him. He lived from Sunday evening till about twelve o'clock on Tuesday night, but never moved or spoke. Uncle Isaacs son James last spring he was shot through the head by a woman of bad character without the lease provecation. He was walking down the street past her house one evening when she threw water on him. Next time he went past he asked her what she done it for. She denied it, told her she lied. One word brought on another untill she drew a revolver and deliberately shot him. The bullet entered just above his eye. He lived twenty four hours but never spoke. She was taken up, tried and acquitted to the indignation of everybody for he was one of the most "offensive" boys in town. A short time after that their next son Allen fell off the railroad bridge.  He fell off the railroad bridge. He fell forty five feet and landed on solid rock but strange to say escaped with his life. His thigh was broken and his head was badly bruised. The doctors nor anybody else thought he would live till morning but he is alive yet and getting well as fast as he can but will be blind in one eye. John Watsons buried one of their Children with scarlet fever. Another one had it and lost his hearing entirely. Isaacs Watsons buried one of theirs a few days ago.  Jeff Ireland also lost one of theirs a few days ago with summer complaint. Their is every disease you can imagine going around here but pincibaly among children. The hooping cough is very fatal. My baby had and came very near dying with it. We had no idea that she would live but she did get well of it. Uncle Amos and his wife were out here on a visit this summer. They were all well. It was the first time I ever say Aunt and I fell in love with her before I was with her a half hour. I saw Uncle Thomas and Aunt Polly this week. They were well, but Aunt is getting very old and feeble. You said that Nelson wanted to know what regiment Elias was in. He belongs to the third Ind Cavalry but is no ways near where he is. He is at Indianapolis and has been ever since he volunteered except what time he was after John Morgan. He was out three weeks after him. He was in Ohio. He was at home two weeks ago. I had a letter from him two days ago. He is well with the exception of sore eyes. I tell you we had stirring times through here during the Morgan raid. Everybody was scared out of their wits except the butternuts. They did not appear any ways concdrned but worked away the same as if nothing was going on. This war is causing a great deal of hardness among neighbors and friends that one year ago were very intimate with each other. The Butternuts we came very near having a battle at church two weeks ago today while our neighbor boys a young soldier who died in the Army fighting the battles of his country young Thomas Watson a son of William Watsons made his appearance there wearing on his bosom a copperhead.  A soldier being in attendance there deliberately took the young gentleman to one side and took the emblem of treason from his bosom and stamped the thing under his feet. At that the gentleman as he calls himself became greatly enraged at what he terrmed an indignity to himself attempted to draw a revolver but the soldier informed him that any such demonstration as that would operate to his damage. At this juncture severe young gentlemen who are somewhat noted for their rebel sympathies pitched in but finally concluded discretion the better part of valor and so withdrew and left the Soldier in possesion of the field. It has raised a terrrible howl among the sypathizering portion of our community but for all of that Copperheads and Butternuts breast pins will not be tolerated here.  There is two many of our brave men in the field suffering all the horrors of War. Widows two of their husbands have died in the service in fact almost everyday we hear of some Brave soldier loosing his life in defence of the cowardly sneaks here at home.  There is a good many paroled Soldiers of the 51st and 33rd Ind regiments that were confined to the Libby Prison at Richmond have been home.  They are ready to tear the heart out of every sympathizer they see.  They say the hope of Northern Intervention is all that has kept the rebellion up as long as it has and the Rebels make no bones about telling them so.
(unsigned, or page missing)
Submitted by Tim Coyle;  Tim received a copy of the letter from Betty Helf.

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