University of Virginia Library

Letter from Adelaide E. Case to Charles N. Tenney, 1862 February 19

I can not refrain from
penning you a few lines even if my
worthy teacher should censure me for
I am now in the schoolroom.
So long a time has elapsed since
I have received any thing from you
that I fear you are ill. Oh! I had
such a strange dream last night.
I shudder even now when I think of it.
You are lying ill and delirious
where I could both see and hear you.
You calling for me and yet I

could not go to you. I struggled
long earnestly and in vain, but there
seemed some great obstacle between
us which I could not surmount.
And the more aggravating it was
that these, were all whom I had ever had the
least feeling of anger toward making me. One thing makes it
almost laughable. Col. Tyler was one
of them. I awoke completely exhausted
and - do not laugh, dearest - weeping.
Be assured, my darling, there was no
more rest for me. Why bless your
dearest. I have not read a letter from
you for two weeks, and it is no
wonder that such dreams, as the
above come to torture me when
you, before, have written so often.

Why! I believe the tortures of the rack
can be nothing to the imaginnings of
such dreams.

Has Capt Asper arrived yet? I sent
a letter by him or rather, Hallie gave

it to him enclosed in it was
a portrait of "Your Addie" as you persist
in calling her. Oh! I can not
drive that ugly dream from my
mind. It has given me that detestable desease commonly termed
"the blues" and I do not think that
there is a thing which will relieve me
except a letter from you. Now please
write will you not? as soon as you
receive this

Darling, do you not think "Julius" a
beautiful signature? Questions such as
this "who is there in Co. H 7th Ohio Reg't
by the name of "Julius"? Bless you
dearest the same beautiful flow
of thoughts: the same dear form
of writing, and the same formal
manner of writing are visible in
"Julius" letters as in "Charlie's".
I could distinguished it among
a thousand others letters.

Darling how difficult it is to write in a

a school room. In imagination picture a
school room by fifty scholars ranging in
age from the blooming girl of twenty down to
the lisping child of four years. Some engaged
in studying - perhaps their lessons and perhaps
not - some in whispering and others is - sitting
still, looking at the next on one side of the
room sits our young teacher, before a little
boy who is reciting his Geography lesson, in
a kind of "dont care" way, and then for the
busily writing, as - one of our scholars
says, "writing to her beloved of ". Well I don't
know as I have any reason to doubt upon it. While
such ... as that ... from lips to me.

Add! Let me see it when you get it finished. I
want to learn how to write "Love". "Add I will tell
the teacher". you will pardon my poor
composition after reading this will you not?

Hal is well perfectly so, with the exception of
his cold. The same feeling seems to pervade Hal
that does human beings. That of liking him
if friends were always as faithful as is his
cold I presume he could have more than he now
does. But he has enough. Our sleighing has all gone
and left us. It lasted four days. I can assure you
that was well improved. There is to be a donation
for our pastor, Mr. Arnold, this evening. I shall not
attend if I do not feel more cheerful than at the
present hour.

Oh, what a buzzing zing there is around me
it sounds more like a swarm of bees than like human
beings. How do you get along for reading, do you have
enough? If not write me and let me know and I will
send you some by . Hal and Laurie went to
Bristol last week to seeCharlie Brooks, and Mr Miller.
He thinks Mr Miller will not live long. Charles Brooks
starts soon for his Co.. If I can I will send some
papers, and books by him. What a victory our troops
won at Fort Donaldson[1]. How have the particulins have gone not; and still at what a cost. We lost heavily. And yet we must expect it
How barbarous it does seem to fight as they died, yet it is necessary. People say they can
read of such battles now with out a shudder, but I can scarcely believe it. Think of hundreds
(I move to first page)[2]

of souls entering the dread within a few short hours, and hundreds of
others lying wounded and writhing in their gone. Oh, it is horrible to think
of say nothing of the sight. Dear Charlie this question
involuntarily rises
to my lips. And they
preferred to die!
What an
important
and fearful
question, and yet how little is
thought of it, My darling I do not profess
to be a christian, and yet I know there is
such a thing as religion. There is something in true religion which I would give worlds to
possess, but I do not I have no hesitancy in
saying that I do not believe that one half
who profess to love their Savior know any thing
about it. And yet I know there is a God who
is there that can look on this beautiful world
and doubt it. Everything declares it
I do not think Religion consists in putting on
long faces and looking as if the world
were coming to an end if we laugh where
I do not think Christ intended we should
give up all pleasure here for him. But
what a strain of thought I have been[3]

let into It is almost noon and I must close "Remember me for all of the
boys and write soon very very soon will you not dearest? Please do not keep Addie in suspense.[4]