Civil War Letter With Shorthand or Secret Code? (Page 4)
Mysterious and incomprehensible 4 page letter written from Louden, Tennessee, on the fictional date of February 31, 1864 and which includes a generous interspersing of what may be either office shorthand to save space, or a secret code to prevent unauthorized persons from reading the letter. What do you think? Is the letter benign or belligerent?
(My keyboard does not include equivalent symbols for all those used in this letter, so I tried to improvise as best I could while transcribing the letter.)
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Loudan Feb 31st 1864
Dear Companion I was think yesterday that perhaps my letter was a ^` far apart I should ( written in reply to yours ` Feb 18th immediately on b reception had \/ ~ ` ready cominced . second one , F H . first ( . died ' ~ hands before \/ ] finish \/ thought best , 1 ( 1st \/ wrote ..~ . long letter containing 2 sheets ` paper making enquiries among ` rest about our business . ) Harford, . \/1 \/ fear \/1 ~ get a reply ) : ~ \ 1 ( \ necessary ` write ` ` Mr Dean because \/ cannot get :~ \\/ ` 1st ` April ( > ) ~ leave here until 6; \/ think perhaps ( \/ cannot 1. letter (: , let :~ stay another year 'about ` same term o last if J ( ; \/ ( thoughts ` writing , :~ , ( affect x It seemed strange , # .~ , read ~ ,) letter ( 1 ) )- cold )~ 1 ) )- warm, (: : > ) (. weather ( / corispond wee ` Northern - May (last `) : first ` June ; ` nature 1,- ~ corrispond ` 1 .1 all because ` grass does ~ The forests striped ' ) foliages as ~ December and ~ a flower , \ found: The inhabitants remark ( 1 :) ~ \ )- cold :) ( years o 1.) I 6 winter ( ( o . case (= one 6 o certain (. could ~ appreciate . _ cold Northern winter X 1. x you spoke ` . 16th as ]. avery coald 1. . wished .! , state .^ 1 ) here ( 1. \/ ) ~ Hospittle 1 ) one ` ^) coaldsest 1., yet . ~ ). (. ~ suffer mutch ( + working ' . bleak river blank fraiming > ) expect , fihish (. Loudan bridge 6 week 1 is noth` a trussel work `. contract o ' ready .) , build . _ substantial bridge 6' \. only temporary purposes until (o finished (. (. / \ taken down x > 1 ~ -. where > / -. , next and care ` little ) \ quite . _ may citizens working ~ gangs here
It o reported ( Gen Thomas > .) entire force o moving, fare well > ( enough . ( /o _ enough ( o considering the sircumstances and ^\ cook get 1 \ ~ very _ still
\/( had . diarea ( some days any yesterday ) atacked hospittle at Chattanooga Clark has gon up to see .~ \/ am enjoying my mind very well find plenty to converse ) \ released x ^\ see ( \/ ( \/ soon , with any mor / 6' sheet so \/ must say Bonno Via , ( 6' L\/ X continue to direct as before
H. Kingsbury
Civil War Letter With Shorthand or Secret Code? (Page 4)
Mysterious and incomprehensible 4 page letter written from Louden, Tennessee, on the fictional date of February 31, 1864 and which includes a generous interspersing of what may be either office shorthand to save space, or a secret code to prevent unauthorized persons from reading the letter. What do you think? Is the letter benign or belligerent?
(My keyboard does not include equivalent symbols for all those used in this letter, so I tried to improvise as best I could while transcribing the letter.)
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Loudan Feb 31st 1864
Dear Companion I was think yesterday that perhaps my letter was a ^` far apart I should ( written in reply to yours ` Feb 18th immediately on b reception had \/ ~ ` ready cominced . second one , F H . first ( . died ' ~ hands before \/ ] finish \/ thought best , 1 ( 1st \/ wrote ..~ . long letter containing 2 sheets ` paper making enquiries among ` rest about our business . ) Harford, . \/1 \/ fear \/1 ~ get a reply ) : ~ \ 1 ( \ necessary ` write ` ` Mr Dean because \/ cannot get :~ \\/ ` 1st ` April ( > ) ~ leave here until 6; \/ think perhaps ( \/ cannot 1. letter (: , let :~ stay another year 'about ` same term o last if J ( ; \/ ( thoughts ` writing , :~ , ( affect x It seemed strange , # .~ , read ~ ,) letter ( 1 ) )- cold )~ 1 ) )- warm, (: : > ) (. weather ( / corispond wee ` Northern - May (last `) : first ` June ; ` nature 1,- ~ corrispond ` 1 .1 all because ` grass does ~ The forests striped ' ) foliages as ~ December and ~ a flower , \ found: The inhabitants remark ( 1 :) ~ \ )- cold :) ( years o 1.) I 6 winter ( ( o . case (= one 6 o certain (. could ~ appreciate . _ cold Northern winter X 1. x you spoke ` . 16th as ]. avery coald 1. . wished .! , state .^ 1 ) here ( 1. \/ ) ~ Hospittle 1 ) one ` ^) coaldsest 1., yet . ~ ). (. ~ suffer mutch ( + working ' . bleak river blank fraiming > ) expect , fihish (. Loudan bridge 6 week 1 is noth` a trussel work `. contract o ' ready .) , build . _ substantial bridge 6' \. only temporary purposes until (o finished (. (. / \ taken down x > 1 ~ -. where > / -. , next and care ` little ) \ quite . _ may citizens working ~ gangs here
It o reported ( Gen Thomas > .) entire force o moving, fare well > ( enough . ( /o _ enough ( o considering the sircumstances and ^\ cook get 1 \ ~ very _ still
\/( had . diarea ( some days any yesterday ) atacked hospittle at Chattanooga Clark has gon up to see .~ \/ am enjoying my mind very well find plenty to converse ) \ released x ^\ see ( \/ ( \/ soon , with any mor / 6' sheet so \/ must say Bonno Via , ( 6' L\/ X continue to direct as before
H. Kingsbury