Jennie Craig Warner was the grandmother of the poet Marianne Moore and during the Civil War, she lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Anne Warner Armstrong was his sister-in-law; at the beginning of the war she was living in Tennessee with her husband. These letters are preserved as part of Marianne Moore’s family papers.
Tuesday June 25
Dear Sister
I received John’s letter of the 18th for which I am very grateful to you both I am glad you are both well, and I hope you are also contented and happy. Contentment is one of the greatest blessings which we can enjoy in this changing world it sometimes pleases our Heavenly father to withhold this from some of His children either on account of their unworthiness or that they may fix their affections upon things above where disappointments do not come. I received a letter from Mr A. on last Saturday morning by Adams Express as the mails between this and S. are stopped he does not say any thing about how times are there as I suppose he is afraid lest his letters may be opened there is great danger there of the people fighting among themselves there [illeg.] some Secessionists in Tennessee altho the Tenn men have been greatly in the majority until lately. After my return to Shelbyville a great many ladies came to see me, their conversation was of course on the state of the country and how badly the North had treated the South always, in never returning fugitive slaves but helping them off I never was spoken to on the subject of slavery since we went to the South before, and I was very much afraid that my silence might lead some to understand that I was an Abolitionist so Mr A thought it would be better for us to leave. We felt sadly indeed to part so soon again and break up our little home but we thought it was better, as there was also great danger of an insurrection among the negros.
I am much obliged for your and John’s kind invitation to go to see you I would like very much to visit you in your comfortable little home Mother wishes me to ask you if you and John could not come and spend the 4th of July with us and as much longer as you could afford to stay. We expect Henry home about that time and it would be so pleasant if we could all meet.
I have intended visiting you since I came back but I felt so much depressed on account of the troubles the war has brought upon us that I put it off from time to time until I feared you would think I had forgotten my promise to you of writing. My health is about as when you were here though I think I do not feel so strong as then. I am oppressed more for want of breath at times more than I was then
Mr Armstrong is better and a newspaper cost 60 cents by Adams Ex—so much for secession every letter he sends costs him 30 cents besides the package stamp John mentioned that he would send us the World of Friday the Kid but it did not come
Father and Mother send their love to both of you Hoping to hear from you soon as I am ever
Your affectionate sister
Anne
Citation: Anne Warner Armstrong, autograph letter signed to Jennie Craig Warner. 25 June 1861. Moore VI:04:19