Letter from Joseph Paschal, Civil War, shared by Maggie Burmeister, St. Charles
Maggie Burmeister, of St. Charles, sent this letter, one of about 100 found at an estate sale in St. Charles. It is written by Joseph Paschal, who was with the 37th Infantry during the Civil War. He wrote this letter to his daughter-in-law, Harriet Paschal. Harriet's husband, Milton C. Paschal, was a member of the 25th Iowa Infantry. He enlisted on Aug. 2, 1862, was discharged for disability on Nov. 8, 1863 at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and died the following January.
Members of the Paschal family moved to St. Charles during the latter part of the 19th Century. One of Harriet and Milton's daughters, Lina Paschal, was the owner of the St. Charles Chronicle from 1903 until 1926, when she sold the paper after being named postmistress of St. Charles.
Schofield Barracks
St Louis, Mo.
10 o'clock Tuesday, Feb 24th 1863
Well Harriet excuse me for writing twice to your once. I have not received a word from you yet or I should have written sooner. Well, Harriet the best of all is I have had word straight from Milton. William Walker and Mr. Denis came right from Vixburgh (Vicksburg). Denis belongs to the same company. He came here on the stearn boat Memphis City loaded with sick - said Milton was detailed to come on the boat but would rather stay than to come, but he is well and satisfied. (He) did not know I was at St Louis.
Walker said he (Milton) was out of money so I had two dollars and sent him one and some postage stamps. Well, I heard this boats landing at the w(h)arf. I started for it fearful that Milton was on it sick or dead. O, how I felt when I went aboard (and) saw nearly five hundred on board sick and dead - eightytwo had died since they began to lead the boat at Vixburgh. Some of the dead lying on the deck of the boat covered with the snow that had fallen, (their) knapsacks laid with thare (their) names.
I looked at the dead, looked for Milton, looked among the sick. I asked for some of the Twenty Fifth Reg … at length Wm Walker and Denis came to me, said they had been with Milton a week ago, he was all right. O how thankfull I felt for God's great mercy. There was a great change in my feeling to think my boy was alive and well a few days ago.
I wrote to Milton by these men. Now, Harriet pleas(e) write soon. … I have had no letter from Siles Lunbeck nor none from M.C. Hann for a week. I received one from J.W. Paschal dated Feb 16, that is the last. We have more than two thousand sick here in the hospitals, four thousand at Jefferson Barracks and a number at Benton Barracks.
Harriet, let me know how you are getting along, whare (where) you live and all about it, how many of your cattle you have lost whether you have got any thing from the county.
Your father,
J. Paschal