your ever welcom letter
has reached me all right and the bundle of paper you sent me
ihave sent Bethuels1
papers to him today there was three bundles to him Bethuel Smith lives
afew miles South West of
us ihear from him often
he and his Wife and youngest little boy was at our hous
the last of november ihave
not seen him since but expect him soon he was maried
awhile after he came home and got well he has three little boys and one
girl the first boy is slender and sickly the rest are healthy two of his
boys looks very much like him they are good children and smart Bethuel
is well and healthy he has bought some land and is trying to pay for it
he is drawing pople wood
to the papermill to make paper with and someimes
works at other work it is rather hard times this winter money is
scarse and wages down not
much going on around here
loc_jc.00116_large.jpg
idid not
rite much in that letter
isent you
ifeared it never would
reach you but thank god it has reached you all right it has
allways seemed to me since
our Son came home that some of us should rite
to you my husband Could not rite
therefore it left me to do the riting
mostly Bethuel was sick when he came home he mearly
got home alive had ben wounded
and had the Chronic diare
the war is ahard place
indeed you have seen some of the hardship of it perhaps all you wish to
see or even hear of my husband was afflicte
with acanser it
Comenced on his lip
it eat his jawboan into
and then along the side of his neck untill
it Came to the arter
ioften thought he would
bleed to death he told me not to try to stop the blood for he would
asoon bleed to death as
not or die another way it was the worst soar
iever seen he
sufered about 6 months
very much indeed the pain were mostly in his head he was very patient
allthrough his sickness
he was ready to go when the lord should see fit to Call after him about
three years from the time it Comenced
it wore him out
loc_jc.00117_large.jpg
Mrs. Smith Bethuel's mother Feb. 1. '75
sent postal card, April 21, '75
he died the 4 of april in the year 1871 iwill
rite the names of our Children
Comencing at the first
ira Smith Halsa/ William J/ Calvin/
Bethuel Joseph D/ Slly M/ Mary2
Mary was Maried to David H Deen3 they are at our house now and will stay untill the first of next month then they will return to new york to their boat he left it on the jersey shore near the Centeral pennsylvania railrode Depo Sally M maryed Harvy Allen4 he is aboatman to She goes with him is ent for them to Come here and stay with me this winter they are with me this winter to Joseph is in the lumberwoods this winter my health is very good iwas not well for about one year after my husbands death iwas almost tierd and wornout ishould like to see you very much Bethuel will rite soon he has often told us of your kindness to him it awlways seemed to me that god sent you to save the life of our son that he might Come home and see his parents once more even sick and wounded Bethuel has your picture
we always thout agreatdeal of that picture how iwould like to see you if your health should be good enoug to come here Come out and see us weall would be somuch pleased to see you wemay see eachother yet sometime if you Canot read this iwill send you my love Dear friend
from Maria Smith to Walt Witmanthey are wating forthe letter to cary to the village
Correspondent:
Maria
Smith (1811–1887) was the mother of Whitman's friend and former Civil War
Soldier Bethuel Smith (1841–1893). Her husband and Bethuel's father, Christopher Smith
(1801–1871) was a farmer, and the Smith family lived in New York.
Christopher and Maria were the parents of several children, and Bethuel Smith
had at least four older brothers, a younger brother, and two younger sisters. Maria Smith wrote about
her family on December 10, 1874. Whitman's
draft response was written on the verso of her letter. In reply to
Whitman's letter and later ones, she wrote this letter
and another dated March 14, 1875.