Death of Wilamena Estabrook 1863 (MIL.7)

The Death of Wilamena Gray Estabrook (1844-Oct 19 1863)

Transcription follows the original letter.

I believe this Oct. 25, 1863, Sargentville, Maine letter was written by Rachel Billings Gray (the daughter of Ruben and Hulda Billings) to her husband Judson A. Gray who was serving in the Union Army as a private in Co. K of the 16^th Maine Infantry. In it she tells him of the death of their 19 year old daughter, Wilamena who was born Feb. 9, 1844, died Oct. 19, 1863.  Wilamena had married Amos H. Estabrook just a year earlier on Oct. 12, 1862 but he is not mentioned in Rachel’s letter to Judson. Wilamena and her mother Rachel, who died two years later, are buried in Settler’s Rest cemetery.

Transcription: (spelling and lack of punctuation are verbatim)

Dear husband it is with indescribable sorrow that I attempt to write to you at this time I received a letter from you two days since and feel very sorry you have not got the long letters I sent you  I wrote every thing that I thought would be interesting to you every particular about our business and all about how we were getting along if you had got my previous letters you would have been prepared in some degree to hear the mournful heart rending intelligence of the circumstance which has taken place in our family the past week, at half past 4 o’clock last Monday morning our dear Wilamenas spirit took its flight from earth and we humbly hope she is now among those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb  Tuesday afternoon her boddy was laid in the silent grave there to lie until the last great day when it will be raised an incoruptable body  a few days before she died she told me when I wrote to you a gain to tell you to prepare to meet her in heaven. In the course of her sickness she would frequently say O how I wish I could see my poor father. I want to write all the particulars concerning her sickness and death and a great many other things but my health is so poor that I am not able to write a long letter now and there is but little to encourage me to write a long letter for I do not know as you will ever get it but if you get this answer it immediately and I will write you again

Transcription by Pam Simmons