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Bone Letter, August 5, 1866

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Bone Letter, August 5, 1866

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Title	Bone Letter, August 5, 1866
Subject	Correspondence Family
Description	M. L. Burl to G. M. Bone.
Date	August 5, 1866
Collection	Bone Family Papers
Collection Identifer	A9, Box 2, Folder 9
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	August the 5 1866 G. M. Bone Dear Sister this is in Answer to yours of July 15, according to promise I will write to you for the first time in life not knowing what to write. That would amount to much I have been sick had the fever for the last few days I was afraid I a going to have a hard spell of sickness though I am on the mend all the rest of the family is sick or nearly so Minerva I was very glad to hear from all that you was enjoying good health you must excuse me for not writing to you before this time as I have not had no suitable chance to send it to you Samantha and Bill I not seen them since Sunday they was here they was well I am going up to see Samantha this evening Minerva maybe I will come down it singing next Sunday if nothing happens I would like for you to go down and take the children I would like to see them very well Minerva can not send you can get us many writes millions and much millions and peaches as you can eat we have plenty of them I will quit you must write to me as soon as you can M. L. Burk To G. M. Bone Tell the children howdy [sic] for me and Brother Bob yours as ever M. L. Burk
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.

Bone Letter, August 5, 1866

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