Bone Letter, September 21, 1862 - Page 1 |
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| Title | Bone Letter, September 21, 1862 |
| Subject |
Correspondence Civil War Military life Medicine Health |
| Description | Near Douglass, Nacogdoches County, Texas. Minerva to Dr. Bone: she has heard rumors that he will be court-martialed for not discharging until he gets to Little Rock and that he will be hung for giving strychnine to a man. |
| Date | September 21, 1862 |
| Collection | Bone Family Papers |
| Collection Identifer | A9, Box 1, Folder 30 |
| Collection Link | http://library.sfasu.edu/findingaids/?p=collections/controlcard&id=17 |
| Biographical Note | Robert Donnell Bone (1832-1892) was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, and came to Nacogdoches County in 1841 with his mother and stepfather. He and his brothers and sister moved in with his older sister when she married John Winstead Paine in 1846. After a serious illness of pneumonia, R. D. Bone rode horseback to Tennessee and entered the University at Nashville Medical School (which later became Vanderbilt University) in 1854 and returned to Douglass, Texas, to practice medicine after graduating in 1858. That same year he married Griselda Minerva Burk (1841-1912) who was also from Tennessee and had moved to Nacogdoches County, Texas, with her family in 1848. On November 25, 1861, Dr. Bone was appointed to serve as Assistant Surgeon of the 12th Texas Volunteer Infantry, Col. Overton Young's Regiment at Camp Hebert, Hempstead, Austin County, Texas. He felt it was his duty to serve the cause of the Confederacy and eagerly attended his post. As revealed in the following letters exchanged with his wife while on active duty in the Civil War, it soon became clear that he would have to contend with inadequate provisions, boring camp routine and confusing orders. "The Fever", dysentery, measles and exposure were Dr. Bone's patients' main medical problems; his regiment was not involved in any serious fighting. When he resigned his commission on March 7, 1863, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he went back to Douglass, Texas, to practice medicine. Dr. Bone also bought cotton and cattle and took them to New Orleans each fall to be sold. Minerva was Post Mistress in Douglass from 1866-1867. Only six of the Bone's 12 children reached adulthood, and two of their sons graduated from the University at Nashville Medical School exactly 50 years after Dr. Bone did. At least eight of his descendants have followed him in serving the medical profession. (Aiken, Roy L. (Pete). "Bone Family." In Nacogdoches County Families, 172. Dallas, Tx.: Curtis Media Corporation, 1985.) |
| Scope and Content Note | Included in the collection of letters between Dr. Bone and Minerva are letters to the Bones from family and friends, report forms from the post office at Douglass, and two poems (probably written by Dr. Bone). Typescripts for most of the papers in the collection are in a booklet in Box 2. Several 19th century newspapers belonging to Dr. Bone are cataloged and shelved with the newspaper bundles. |
| Associated Dates |
1860-1869 |
| Type | Correspondence |
| Repository | East Texas Research Center |
| Repository Link | http://library.sfasu.edu/etrc/ |
| Transcript | Near Douglass Nacogdoches Co Texas Sept the 21 1862 Dear Dr Am well and hearty and I hope you are enjoying the same blessing. Winsted is a little sick, it is his teeth I think, that makes him sick, he has 5 through. He is a small little boy, and a little bad with it. He is beginning to step a little; he goes everywhere in the yard [and] up on the tables if there are chairs by them. They are all well here, all of our folks are well as far as I know. We have had a three days’ meeting up here last week. Seney and Frances and Eleanor were there. Seney brought to me the $5 that stamps owed you. Oh, how I wish for you...this world is no pleasure to me with[out] you. If I knew you were gone, to not return home again, all my joys would cease. I would be miserable and broken hearted, but I still try to live in hopes for our lives. I still hope I will see your Dear and lovely face once more in this world. If it be the good Lord’s will, we will live together yet in this life, but if not His will to live in this life, I hope and pray and trust in Him that we will meet in a happier world than this, where there will be no war nor troubles there. Pa, I love and kiss little Winsted every day for you, and I will till do so for you, and I will not fail to love you daily. Your company and sweet words I never forget that are past and gone. Remember I and little Winsted and pray for us. Foster Bone has returned home. [I] haven’t seen him yet. I want to go to Ma’s next Saturday, and perhaps there, too. Sam has not gone yet, [I] don’t know when they get off. Tell Ben Whitaker that Mat is at Douglass sick, [he] came yesterday. I haven’t heard the particulars, but I suppose he is just wore out traveling. Tell Jim howdy for me. Tell Bill, Ben, and the Russell’s Boys that their folks are well. When you write, write how they are, Miss Wade requested me to write this. I was mistaken about John P.’s boy, it is a girl. Missy Lamb [had] two little boys, there is Lock and Acey. Pa has the most of his corn gathered. Pa took the leather of your shoes to Mr. Self yesterday, for him to make. We will send them, and rest of your things by Voigt, and I also will write then. I got your letter, which I gladly received. You know I want you to write every chance you have. Ma sends her best respects to you and she says she would be glad see you. Martha sends her best respects to you. Not much sickness here now. Mat Nelson is dead, he has been dead over a week. No news to write, only I have heard you were going to be court-martialed, when you got to Little Rock, for saying you were not going to discharge any more until you got to Little Rock, and, again, I heard you gave strychnine to a man and were going to be hung. Some asked Fred Voight about it and he said he never heard it till he got home to Nacog. Co. I don’t now who started it, but think I could guess pretty well. I don’t believe it, nor never did, but it has been whispered around through several such as like to talk anyhow. Some said they knew it a good while, but wouldn’t say anything about it for fear it [would] make me uneasy. I told Warren and Sis that they need not scare themselves, and that, if everybody did as near right as you, this war would not be. They took sides with me. I expect you have a heap to contend with, but bear it all and think of me, the one who loves you most dearly and the most of all on this earth. Take good care of yourself and live for me. Write how you get along with all undertakings. May the good Lord bless you with choicest blessings until we meet again. Goodbye my love. Yours etc. G. M. Bone |
| Rights | This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is available for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the East Texas Research Center at asketrc@sfasu.edu. |
Description
| Title | Bone Letter, September 21, 1862 - Page 1 |
| Collection Identifer | A9, Box 1, Folder 30 |
| Repository | East Texas Research Center |
| Rights | This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is available for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the East Texas Research Center at asketrc@sfasu.edu. |
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