Robey Family

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Note: This letter was written by William Wilson Young to his wife, Cora Mable Bicksler during the Spanish-American War of 1898. Cora was living in Freeport, Illinois at that time, and William was stationed in Falls Church, Virginia. William Young was the son of Robert and Louisa Robey Young, grandson of Levi and Almira Waite Robey, and a great-grandson of William and Mary Collins Robey. William and Cora Young were my great-grandparents. The original letter is in the possession of my grandmother, Mrs. Alice Young Sullivan Mumma. R. Campbell, Ed.

William Wilson Young to wife Cora Mable Bicksler Young

Falls Church, Va
July 3rd, 1898

Dear Cora,
I will drop you a few lines this evening. I am well; hope you are the same. Well, we are still here and I do not know how long we will be here. I received my pay last night and I am going to send D.F. some just as soon as I can get an express money order. Well, news is scarce. The two boys that gave me back chat were fined 3 dollars apiece. I think I told you about it--they had been playing off and I went after them and they tried to tell me what I had to do in order to arrest them and Major Clark was there and heard the whole thing. He is the judge of this regiment and they were brought before him and he assessed them three each. There was another one here that I arrested the same time and he only fined him two dollars but he never said a word, he just went right along with me. I have had some pretty tough customers but they have to come to time now. I just had a letter from Martha Graham yesterday and she said she was coming into Freeport and going out to our house this week. The box of clothing left here day before yesterday and I expect it will be in Freeport in ten days or two weeks. I have written to the girls so if you don’t get your visit out I guess they can get the things. Give the folks all my regards and tell Will if I get back I will go to Savanna with him for watermelons. I hope you have a good visit at Mt. Morris when you go. I will send you some money just as soon as I can get an express money order. Well, it has been very hot here for the last three days but there has been a nice breeze going here all afternoon and we have been very comfortable all afternoon.

Henry Nesler is in my tent, and I have been having real good visits with him. Got all the news he keeps in his diary. He will have all the news when he gets back and I expect it will be quite interesting. We have 308 men in our Regiment now. Cap. Kling is all right--he received a letter from his sister today. I do not know what I did with D.T. letter. I guess I must have burned it by mistake. I thought I had sent it to you. I have not heard from Am or Dell for a long time. Mother wrote me a letter the other day and she said she said she missed you, and papa said every day he wished Cora would come with little nookins. He was dreaming about her in his sleep the other night and just [?] more than talking to her.

I am glad Aaron has work this summer. Hope he will make something. I am getting thirty dollars a month from Uncle Sam.

I saw in today’s paper that Shafter was doing the Spaniards up in Santiago. He has killed and wounded six hundred Spaniards with only a causality of one thousand killed and wounded,. That, I think, is a good show for the Americans. I do not know whether we will leave here or not--we had orders once to leave here, but they were countermanded and now I don’t know when we will leave or whether we will leave or not.

We were rousted out of bed about midnight last night and had roll call to see how many of the boys were in camp. They all answered to the roll call. They said that the sixth Pennsylvania was half gone and they were raising the dickens in Falls Church. The Cavalry went after them and I thought they shot two of them.

Well, tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and I do not know what the program is here or whether we will have any doings or not--I have not heard.

I will close. Hope to hear from you soon.

I remain yours Resp as ever

W.W. Young

Falls Church Va

Co. L, 6th Reg Infty--Ill Vols.