A move forward by General Grant

Near Topeka, Kansas
April 19, 1864

Sister J. S. Griffing,

Please permit me to present you the within, as a token of appreciation for the extended kindness you have manifested to me and mine. Do not consider it as any pay, but simply as a present. And with it, please accept our most grateful feelings for your repeated favors. And at any time, please feel that our house is ever your home — yes your home. Believe me as ever your sincere friend, — L[evin] B. Dennis

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Baltimore [Maryland]
April 21, 1864

Dear Brother [James] & Family

I received a letter from you two months since, but as you requested us to send you our Photograph likeness, could not do so until now as we had none on hand, and the sickness in the family of one and another prevented us from getting out sooner to have them taken. We sent Sister Clara & Brother Osmyn some from our first lot and would have sent all of the members of the family some, if they had been taken better, but as the first batch was too much in a huddle being all on one card clearly represent the fairest and we concluded to have another sitting by standing up and not having too much beauty crowded together. So I will say no more on that subject, just now, hoping to receive as soon as convenient, your family of photographs in return.

I said that we have had some sickness in the family and I will try to enumerate them. First, Brother George Shaffner had the smallpox, and sister Sophy [had] neuralgia in her head, and came near losing her sight by inflammation of the eyes. [My wife,] Eliza also had a pretty severe attack of the same sort but not so severe. She also had to attend to her brother during his sickness, and the trouble and anxiety of mind as well as the extra labour attending such a disease was enough to make the strongest give out. Yet while she could move, she was kept at it until her nerves gave way. She was completely prostrated for a few days and the Doctor said that she was threatened with the Typhoid Fever. But by careful treatment and attention, she recovered slowly. Then came [our daughter] Susan’s turn. She had the measles and was sick for about two weeks, and now [our son] Colby has them, and for a few days, has had a violent fever, but now seems to be better. So you see we have had the Doctor on hand all winter and sometimes two of them. Mother Shaffner has not stood upon her feet now for nearly a year and you may know that we have had a time of it in nursing both young and old, and we all begin to feel old enough.

We have not received any word from Owego for a long time, but presume all are well or we should have. I can think of nothing new to write you at this time further than there seems to be a move forward by General Grant & officers with intention to make a change in affairs at the front of the Potomac Army. I suppose there will be some stirring news from there before many days. ¹

You wish to know when I am coming to Kansas. It’s rather a hard question to answer just now but if we live and am able, we may sometime hence. All the family join in love to you and should be greatly pleased to receive a visit from you & yours.

Affectionately your Brother & Sister, — Daniel S. & Eliza S. Griffing

¹ In late April, General Grant put the Army of the Potomac into motion. Crossing the Rapidan River, the Federal army engaged General Lee’s Army of Virginia in the Battle of the Wilderness in early May 1864. Among the troops included in Grant’s army was the 109th New York Infantry — a unit containing several boys from Tioga County, New York.