Emmor's First Poems to His Mother...

Don't Be Angry Mother

Don't be angry Mother, Mother,
Let thy smiles be smiles of joy.
Don't be angry Mother, Mother,
Don't be angry with thy boy
Days have flown since we have traversed
The dark and stormy lands;
Whilst your boy quite broken harted,
Ne'er has ceased to think of thee.

Don't be angry Mother, Mother,
Let the world say what it will,
Tho I don't deserve thy favor,
Yet I fondly love thee still.
We have lived and loved together,
And our hearts never knew a pain
But forgive me Mother, Mother,
Oh forgive thy boy again.

Pray remember, Mother, Mother.
I've been thinking of thee still,
And I'm dreaming of thee nightly,
While reclining in my sleep.
But forgive me, Mother, Mother,
It will ease thy heart of pain
But forgive me, Mother, Mother,
Oh forgive thy boy again.

Mother

Mother, our country calls
I'll stop not an hour
Freedom may breathe her last
E're tis tomorrow.

I'll face the cannons mouth
All dangers braving
I'll keep my banner bright
Still proudly waving

Mother, 'tis a righteous cause
Thy prayers attend me
I'll strike to the traitors hart
Gods will defend me

And when amid flames and smoke
I am contending
I'll think of the lifespring ones
I am defending

Mother, will thee pray for me
God will attend thee
Pray for the blessed one to
All ways defend me.

Mother, when the war is over
Home will I hasten
With each to receive a kiss
With love's tender greeting

Now we must say farewell
No longer tarry
To duty bids me to
I must not tarry

When we may meet again
Man cannot tell
Now to the battle fields
Mother, Sister, Brother, farewell

Camp Hutchins, Ohio
December 21st, 1861

Dear Mother,
It is with pleasure that I sit down to write to thee. I believe it is the first time in my life. I am well and hope that you are all well at home. I have not even a cold and the rest of the boys that come serving, except some of them have colds. The boys are all on drill except D. Ellett and B. Brooks and they are writing letters.

Mother, I am sorry things have turned out as they have. But it cannot be helped now. It was my intention to come home with Joseph. But he will tell you why I did not. But thee must forgive me this time. But I did want to go or I would never have enlisted. But I will refer thee to that verse in print and I want to go till those words come true. But Mother, I will leave the subject.

Tell Martha and Lizza to make that shirt and gather up my things. Remember my suspenders. And buy me a pair of drawers and make them and I will pay them when I come home. The way I come to write today, I was on guard last night and I do not have drill today. And I thought I would write today and then I could go to meeting tomorrow. Tell Elwood that I want him to come up here as soon as he can. Dinner has been called and I will close.

Give my love to all that inquire after me. Direct your letters to
Camp Hutchings
Trumble Co. O
In care of Captain Bartlett

Introducing the main character...

Thomas Emmor French was born in Goshen, Ohio on March 28th, 1844 to Thomas French and Martha Bryan. Martha was Thomas French's second wife, and Thomas Emmor was the youngest of their 6 children. He was raised a Quaker and attended local public schools. By the age of 17, Thomas Emmor was the last son at home, helping his mother run the family farm.

In 1861, the war was barely underway, and the Union Army had suffered several embarrassing defeats. The government was very eager to recruit more soldiers and train them better, and the propaganda machine was in full swing by the end of the year. Thomas Emmor was not any more immune to the patriotic pleas for help than any other young man who believed in his country.

So, in December 1861, Thomas Emmor snuck off to enlist in the war -- against his mother's wishes, against the tenets of his faith, and three months shy of his 18th birthday. Taking a family horse, he rode to Camp Hutchins and told the recruiters that he was 18 so that he could join the hundreds of other young men who were racing to respond to the call of war.

His mother and sister were left alone to run the farm by herself. His Quaker congregation did not condone war of any kind and "shunned" him as a result of his joining the conflict. He left behind his sweetheart, Esther, and all his brothers and sisters. Over the course of the next 3.25 years, Emmor had 3 horses shot out from beneath him, became the company clerk (due to his literacy), and served several general officers as private secretary. His service to the Union Army took place entirely in the Shenandoah Valley as a member of the 6th Ohio Cavalry. Throughout his experience, he wrote to his mother, his sweetheart Esther, and his brothers and sisters, and those letters were preserved by his descendants.

This blog will trace the steps of Thomas Emmor from enlistment in 1861 through his discharge in 1865. Sometimes our posts will be one of the many letters he wrote home, and sometimes they will be pertinent information about what was going on around him.