Civil War Letter
Rather remarkable 1863 Civil War cover & Letter written by a doctor in Salem, North Carolina who expresses positive sentiments for the Jefferson Davis and the Confederate cause. He labels Davis the lesser of two evils over Abraham Lincoln.
FULL TRANSCRIPT, SCANS and some RESEARCH NOTES below.
Cover is franked with two blue Jefferson Davis CSA stamps with fancy cancels, and then a black Salem circular date stamp.
This letter was written by Dr. Theodore Felix Keehln (1823-1877) of Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina. Theodore was the son of Dr. Christian David Keehln (1793-1859) and Maria Magdalena Landmann (1802-1870). He was married to Susanna Elizabeth Rights (1820-1910) in 1849.
Dr. Keehln wrote the letter to Margaret Elizabeth Clewell, the daughter ofJohn David Clewell (1804-1862) and Dorothea Matilda Schltz (1815-1908) of Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina. Margaret\'s brother, Augustus (\"Gus\") Alexander Clewell (1845-1911), served as a Private in Company E, 21st Infantry Regiment (Confederate) of North Carolina and later in Company B, 1st Battalion Sharpshooters Regiment North Carolina on 26 Apr 1862.
We learn from this letter that Margaret was employed as a school teacher in 1863. We also learn that Dr. Keehln\'s political sentiments remained with the Confederate States of America. Commenting on the leadership of Abraham Lincoln and Jeff Davis and the two governments represented, he states, \"I prefer the latter as the least of the two evils.\"
TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Miss Margaret Clewell, Williamsboro, Granville County, North Carolina
Salem [North Carolina]
August 21st 1863
My dear Margaret,
You cannot imagine the pleasure you gave me by writing the few lines I received from you by yesterday\'s mail. When the letter was first handed to me, I was busily engaged with some persons who had come to consult with me & of course prevented from immediately opening it. I looked again & again at the direction, evidently a ladies handwriting, & the post-mark, attending to my patients, & revolving it over in my mind, from whom the letter could come, & what were its contents, so that you see, just about that time, I was doing that very thing, which it is always said cannot be done; namely, two things at once & both brain work.
When I opened it & found your name, I was delighted to think that you held me so high in your estimation as to write me those lines. You state that it will give you pleasure in receiving a letter from me, though you know my time is valuable & occupied with more important matters than writing to you. The first is true & even now whilst I am writing, it is but a little time that I have selected, as I am obliged to see a patient eight miles from here, & the only regret I have is that you are not here to accompany me.
As regards the latter, that is that my time is engaged with more important matters than writing to you, I cannot agree with you because what can be of more importance to man, or what can give him more pleasure or satisfaction, outside of selfish & pecuniary considerations, which are best for the time being than the pleasant moments spent in addressing an esteemed & distant friend.
On the evening of your departure, after the stage rolled away from the place beyond the creek where I last saw you, I pitied you as I was fearful your traveling companions were not as pleasant as I should have liked, & I regretted that I could not accompany you to High-Point as I had intended, and I thought of you again and again, hoping that by this time & that time that you had safely landed in High-Point.
Since your departure, things here remain in status quo. There is to be a large Union meeting to be held in Winston on day after tomorrow; the friends of the cause expect a large attendance & an enthusiastic time. Poor deluded beings -- rejoice today & tomorrow sit in sorrow. I should think that the lesson taught us in breaking up one government, & that government unarmed at the time, but would be sufficient to prevent a disorganized crowd with bad & cowardly leaders from attempting to revolutionize a second time against a government of their own creation & bristling with bayonets from one end to the other. But as you drive so you will ride, and I at least wash my hands from everything which will at this time bring on another revolution & only under our condition still more intolerable Union now & here, without a kindred action in all the other states, means nothing more than submission to one Abraham Lincoln, & between him & Jef. Davis, I prefer the latter as the least of the two evils.
I hope you will continue to get along well in your school & keep the boys under your thumb, for you must not forget that boys in those years are tolerable uncontrollable, & sometimes their hide itches for the rod. I saw your mother and Anna on yesterday. They are well and you can make your mind perfectly easy that if anything does happen where I can be of service to them either as friend or physician, I will treat them as if they were my own.
Aunt Polly is on a visit to Waughtown & I gave her the tobacco. She says you are a kind lady & she liked you very much and I should be certain to thank you. Miss Mary Jane too has gotten perfectly well, & so her father. I was told Mr. Robert Sweinity did not even thank you when you left for your services here with the small pay. Such is his way -- entice every one into it by all kinds of promises & when in, no further attention paid.
My sheet is full but I could keep on for the next hour. Enough, however, till next time. Now Margaret, it will always give me pleasure to hear from you so tat whenever you have a leisure or a gloomy hour, write to me & I will try & divest your leisure & dispel your gloom. Hoping this may find you in the enjoyment of good health. If I get the opportunity, I will come & see you.
Your affectionate friend, -- Theo. F. Keehln
N. B. I am not quite done yet. Mr. Horton\'s headboard ¹is at last finished & I have put it at the head of his grave. I fixed up the grave previous to sodding.
A second time farewell. -- T. F. K.
¹ It isn\'t clear who \"Mr. Horton\" was but I suspect it was Sgt. William T. Horton (1838-1863) of the 19th Georgia, Company H, who died at Salem on 10 June 1863. He was buried in the Salem Cemetery and he may have been cared for by Dr. Keehln or possibly Margaret Clewell. His gravestone states that he was from Dallas, Paulding County, Georgia.
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