Letter from Daniel L. Lyman on a family death, the Civil War, and the church

Sabbath Eve Sept 20th 1863

Dear Brother and Sister

It has been a long time since I have written to you but it is not because that I have forgotten you but I have been very much hurried with my business and the [?] have written and I have in want given it up to them but last Friday evening I received your kind and affectionate letter just one month after it was dated and I thought that I would try to return an answer as soon as I could allthough Josiah and Addison have both written to me sicne they heard of the death of Daniel yet as it takes longer for you to get a letter I will write to you first hopeing that I may yet tire to write to them before long. the truth is that since we had the sad news of Daniels death I have not written to any one uppon it I have had so much on my hands. But allthoug it has been allmost 3 months since we were allmost overwhelmed by the dreadfull times yet the affection dose not seem to grow any the less by the laps of time on the otherhand it appears to be greater and greater. I thank you for your letter of condolence in this hour of sorrow and grief. We have had much of sympathy and much of mercy in this strange and misterious providence our friends and acquaintances have manifested deep feeling for us in this time of need. Daniel had won the affections of many hearts and when the fact of his end was confermed it caused the deepest [?] feeling of sorrow in Easthampton of any soldiers death that has occured since the war commensed. The company in which he went all felt his loss very much and no one doubted his [?] prepared for his sudden death. His whole soul was awake to the spiritual benifit of those that were under his influence be labored with all his might yet he felt that he was not faithful enough to those around him and neglected opportunities to do good but he labored as if he was doing his last work he seemed to be impelled doing by some mighty force that nothing could with stand. From the commencement of the war his mind had been uppon [?] but I did not think it was best for him. I told him that he was not old enough and the first year of the war he was not 14 but the next year he had arrived at that age and when the first 300,000 men were called for he was very anxious to go but I still felt that he was not matured enough for so hard a service and I would not give my consent but it was hard for him to give it up. I thought that I could hear the hardships of the camp better than he could and talked about [?] myself but he would not hear any thing to that but still had a deep longing for going and I sill had a strong determination to keep him out of the war. The call came for the second 300000 I still adhered to my determination not to consent to his going But denies Clapp came up to see me and said he wanted Daniel to go with him. I still held onto my determination but told him that I would take it into consideration but said that I pithed the President. I thought I was pretty hard driven up and finally I gave my consent as he did not wish to go unless I did but told him at the same time that I was afraid that it would bring great calamity uppon the family. which fear has been fully realised. it brought upon a sore affliction for which there is no escape but in the confidence that the Lord will do all things well. I know this to be true yet it is hard to come to such a state of mind yet this is the spot to come to and there is comfort in nothing short of this. I hope that I can have this strong confidence yet still my min will revolt at the idea that he must be as it were [?] from his dear home and friends to go far away in a distant hart of the country there to endure the dreadfull hardships of a soldiers life and as he was [?] longing and hoping soon to day aside the horrid [?] of war and return to his peaceful home to killed on the battle field and there to lay his bones till the reserrection morning all this is hard to be submissive under and nothing but a sense of Gods just and wise over ruling Providence can stay up the sould under such heavy dispensations but it is the Lord that has done it and my should we complain it is for our worst that we might be made partakers of his holiness [?]. Daniel went out of duty to his country and his God I have not the slightes doubt and we have reason to believe that he was an instrument of much good while he was in the army and that while laboring for the good of others his own soul was makeing advances in the devine life.

Oct 8th When I comenced this sheet I intended to have finshed it and sent it off but I have been so occupied that it has been more than 2 weeks that I have not written any thing in it. I wanted deplorable condition of our country. It was a dreadful blow to me when the war commenced I felt as though the country was allmost [?] and our glorious union which had been such a blessing to us and to the world to have that broken by the ruthless hand of rebel trators was enough to make one weep and mourn for the desolations that mere comeing uppon the land. I had [?] to union as it were with a death like grasp feeling that if the union was broken all was lost and also hopeing and beleiveing that it would be preserved. But the standerd of rebelion has been rased without any just cause and for which there is no excuse. and it must be regarded as an [?] risked rebellion yet that there have been no other fruitful causes of the war I am very confident of and not the least are the northern abolitionest who have been led on by neck less men who have had but one idea the abolition of slavery without regard to any thing else wether [?] was preserved or not. In this way they have gone on and I think when the guilt of this war is charged uppon the inhabitants of this land the abolitionist will house a very very much to stir up this war and to continue it after it has been begun I firmly believe and I think that I have good reason for so beleiving Charles Edwards said to me that he was glad when the war comenced others have said the same and multitudes have felt it inwardly who have not said it openly and they are constantly saying not only privately but in public resolution that they do not want the war to stop till slavery is done with this I regard as all wrong and fraught with mischief on every hand I do not have any sympathy for such sentiments and never have. I believe that it has made the [?] and kept it on and I do not know but it will keep it on till this fair land is laid in hopeless ruin. When the rebellion broke out there was no other way for the government but to put it down by force of arms. but in my opinion they have made a great blunder in bringing in the slavery question. The Presidents emancipation proclimation never gave me any other but sorrowfull feelings for the reason that I have not thougt it practicale to carry it out and that it was calculated to prolong this terrible war which is filling the land with mourning lamentation and wo! I beleive that if the Presidant had kept on as he begun to put down the rebelion without medling with slavery the war would before this time have been ended, but he was driven to the mesures that he has taken by the terrible pleasure of the abolitionist and God only knows what the end will be to me it looks dark and gloomy in the extream, I know that God can deliver us and I have allways thought that he would it has seemed to me that there was to much at stake for this nation to be distroyed but I have some times allmost given up. But I beleive that there is a call for the people of God to repent and say mightily unto God that he would share the nation and give us not over to repent but that he would in some way send deliverance to this striken land that the enemy may not triumph and that blessings of civil and religious liberties may be maintained to generations yet unborn and that this nation might be the means of giveing liberty and the gospel to a lost works. A case of heresy not of heresy hunting for it come to light without any effort at hunting The church in Georgetown recently have issued a letter. Missive for a council to investigate [?] preached by their pastor the Rev Charles Beecher they speak of four doctrines in which they think he has departed from the truth Pre-existance atonement state of souls after death, and divine sorrow. On investigation all these charges were fully sustained and on the final vote of the Council there was 16 for sustaining to 5 aganst the Rev Mr Dexter the Editor of the Congretionist voting in the negitive and then admiting to Edward Beec into his pulpit to preach aganst the action of the Counc and abuse them. It was the understanding that if Mr Beecher was found guilty he woul withdraw from the society in Georgeton but when he found that they had decided against him he by vote of a very small majority of the church concluded to stay. We have had a very full accoun of the whole doings of the Councel in the Recorder (which states that the Councel was one of great weight of charites and influence) and the more we learn of the facts in the Beecher family seems to be given up to delusions and it seems to me that it is the duty of christians to set themselfs against it like a [?] for they are much news but must let that go for another time we are all in comfortable health much old age sixteen years having passed away since we [?] married. We all send much love you and your dear children Daniel L Lyman