Beschreibung:

Lot of approx. 20 letters, some incomplete. Joel Florida and George Ames traveled from Maine to Illinois by covered wagon. They married sisters, Lucinda and Sarah Woodard. Lucinda had two children, Ellen (Nellie) and George. After Lucinda died, Joel married her sister, Catherine, who had three children. In response to a campaign begun in St. Paul, the two men decided to move to Minnesota build a water-powered mill. They moved first to Minneapolis, then struck out to "wilder" lands. As the Woodard-Florida-Ames families struck out, traveling up the Mississippi River, they met Vermont native Guilford George. The trio arrived at a small settlement on the Crow River in October 1855, then known as Greenwood, moving a bit downriver purchasing a claim from William Frazer and making nearby claims. Since winter was setting in, they returned to the city to gather settlers, leaving George to guard the claim. The following spring the settlers encountered a crew cutting a road from Minneapolis to Greenwood. They gave the road crew a hand, and, in return, the road ended at the new town, not quite making it to Greenwood. The new area (after some quarreling and negotiations) was named Rockford. The area was thickly forested and there were "Indian troubles." In 1862 the Dakota War erupted. It is estimated that at least 800 settlers were killed and uncounted property damaged. At the same time, of course, the Civil War was raging to the south and east. It was difficult to come up with both Lincoln's quota and enough men to guard the settlers, who built forts around many buildings, including the Ames-Florida mill. The settlers petitioned Washington to send troops to fight the Indians. Some troops spent their first year of enlistment fighting Indians, then went on to fight "rebels." It was in this environment that Joel Florida's children grew up. His first child, Nellie, began communicating with many of the young men. This lot consists of approx. 20 letters (a couple are incomplete) to Nellie from soldiers, friends and family members. The first letter is from "Cousin Frank," dated Nov. 30, 1861 from Camp Jenkins, KY. Frank begins "I must drop you a few lines - per agreement." An agreement she seems to have made with most of the young men. He goes on to let her know that the 2nd MN Regt. is 30 miles south of them but the 1st Minnesota is not there. Another of the earliest letters is from James Stacy, who is writing from Franklin, Wright Co., MN. His letter is primarily asking permission to begin corresponding with her. He does mention that he has heard that her father was going to move back to Illinois, making it too far for him to come see her. Many residents did move, many to the cities such as Minneapolis and St. Paul, but others went more distant, as "Indian troubles," or, more often, rumors of Indian troubles, erupted. There are several letters from David W. Jones who served in F&S in Washington, one from L.F. Patch (Co. B, 2nd Cav., Fort Ripley), a couple from F. McJenks (Co. A. 3rd MN Infy, Pine Bluff, AR), a whole and a partial letter from Curtis B. Ames (Co. A, 3rd MN Infy), plus friends Lizzie and Mary, her father, brother Jeb, uncle and cousins. The correspondents are spread out from Gainsville, NY to Washington, DC to Louisville, KY to Pine Bluff, AR. The one letter that stands out is from "Jack." On patriotic stationery with a panoramic view of Washington, DC fortifications and map of Virginia between Washington and Manassas Junction, he writes from "Camp Instruction, Washington DC," giving the soldiers' view of the Colt Revolving Rifle: I feel that the day is near at hand when we shal meet the enimy on the field of battle. We have not got our guns yet, but we have some things that some have the impudence to call guns. They were forced onto us against our will. They are Colt revolving Rifles and they are the most inferior thing in the shape of a shooting Iron I ever saw. We resisted them as long as there was any hopes. The Officers thr