January 5, 1861 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... I had thought maby your husband might have enlisted and gone as Surgeon ther has several gone from this place... I think your husband is just as capable of filling that place as those that have gone from here and it would pay well for him to go if he could get the office..."

March 19, 1861 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... he thinks he cannot stand Fathers abuse as he terms it but Father don't seem to want to help him any and I cannot see why he should be so unkind to all of his Children..."

July 21, 1861 – Nelly Crain
"... there has a good many of the boys went from around here...it seems as thoug they thougt it would be a funny notion to go down there to be shot at..."

July 21, 1861 – Isaac Aldrich
"... I am afraid I shall not be able to come and make you a visit for a long time...I have enlisted for the war and am going to Indianapolis next week..."

September 8, 1861 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... Isaac has inlisted for a souldier and is now drilling in camp Jackson one mile north of Laport he says he has good times there but I fear he little knows what his fare will be when he is sent south to confront the rebbel army..."

November 4, 1861 – Nelly Crain
"... There was a storm here I think it was on 4th of october qest after dark it done considerable damage in hamilton it blew Aidons building all to peaces and would taken it clear into the pond if it had not been for the grubs..."

January 4, 1862 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... I fancy that I am almost a worthless mortal for my family is so small and my work so lite and yet it is never done. I sometimes fancy that my children are more trouble than other people's and I know that my children are sick the most of the time..."

After January 4, 1862 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... Nelly rote to me to write you the particulars as it regards Susans deathe which is as follows. She had been from home and bought her grave cloths and Strictnine to poisen herself..."

March 2, 1862 – Nelly Crain
"... calico has been 19cts per yd but has come down to a shilling we got a bolt of cotton cloth and paid 19cts a yard...tallow is worth 8cts butter 8cts lard 6 tea one dollar and qtr per pound Cofee 90cts candlewicking 10 per ball..."

June 29, 1862 – Nelly Crain
"... Arvila got a letter from Brother Isaac last Saturday he was well when he wrote he was sick at the time of the Battle of Pitsburg landing and for that reason was not in the battle when he wrote to me he told me to Direct to I T Aldrich Pitsburg Landing Tenn..."

March 7, 1863 – Nelly Crain
"... they have cleared the draft in this Township for the present call by hireing volunteers they paid them four hundred dollars bounty to a man Leute paid fifty five dollars and he paid 20 last fall so you see it takes all we can make to support the war and pay taxes..."

March 12, 1863 – Nelly Crain
"... I guess they will keep on fighting till they kill off all the white men and send the n****s here to live with the women and children..."

April 26, 1863 – Nelly Crain
"... Our poor little Daughter is no more I wrote to you that she guetting worse but could not think of parting with her...we thought she must guet better but she continued fail in spite of all our efforts..."

Spring, 1863 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... I don't know what is to become of the poor people whose husband are in the army and the orphand and widows it makes my heart ache to think of it but so it is and what is the prospects of better times..."

February 7, 1864 – Nelly Crain
"... the men and boys about here have been volunteering again this winter till ther scarcely an able bodied man left we cant hire a days wor done short of a dollar and there is know one to hire and if they draft out many more men I dont how the harvesting will be done..."

May 8, 1864 – Nelly Crain
"... I am very glad that you enjoy yourself so well in going to meeting and wish I could have the same privelige I think I could enjoy it very well but there is no meeting nearer than thre or four mile..."

July 10, 1864 – Nelly Crain
"... I have attend a good many funerals. I attended one last week of a little child tha was burned to death there has been to deaths by suicide in this vicinity of late the well known Richard Colton of hamilton was found in the upper part of the mill Dead..."

November 6, 1864 – Nelly Crain
"... Ther been a great many drafted about here...but they are all very loth to go and are cursing old abe lincoln...some have tried to runaway but have taken and brought back and every one that is worth any thing are hiring substitutes and paying from six to 1000 hundred dollars..."

December 11, 1864 – Elisabeth Conklin
"... William with 25 other men formed club each one putting in 100 dollars and those that were drafted out of that club were to draw the pile there was 4 men drafted there from and his hundred dollars is minus..."