Civil War-dated handwritten letter from Union soldier Philip. B. Webster of the 1st N. H. Cavalry, four pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, July 30, 1862, accompanied by a dried flower, 3.5˝ in length, picked from the yard of Judith Carter Henry, an 85-year-old widow and invalid who was the first civilian casualty of the Civil War. Addressed from “Manassas Junction, Va.,” a letter to Webster’s wife and family, in full (spelling and grammar retained): “I take this opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you no how I get along as to my health it is verry good and hope this will find you all the same I recieved a letter from you the 27. and was verry glad to hear from you and to hear that you wer so well I Have no news to write this time that I can think of only as I am writing I can hear the Guns a Roaring as they are having a Battle a bout 20 miles from here they have ben a fighting now for too days We Expect to go every hour and yet We may not at all But Probably We shall I hope we may for if we can help I want to how the Battle Will tirmanate I Cant tell But I hope for the Best there A Pears to be a stagnation in the War now but I hope it is for the best But I cant see it in that Light I Cant see as the War is Eny Nigheer to an End them it was one year a go and if Eny thing not so nigh to an End as I have allways sed I think it is a Going to take three years at the least to Wind it up and if they Do it in that time it Will Be sooner then I Expect unless some forin nation steps in in all Proberbility if it should last for one year longer that some forign Nation mite interfear and I think that Will Be the Way this War Will be settled if Even for the southar Bound not to Give up and it is so With the North but as I have Writen on this several times I will say no more for my opinion is a mear bable so I have sed a nuf for this time I think We ar having verry hot Weather out here now as I have Rote to you for the last several times and it will last for some time now Proberly I want to see you all verry much But I cant now and it is of no use of talking if I had a (?) a mine to I mite of had a furlow some time a Go But Cant now nether Now I want one for if I Could it would Be of no use to me so I care northing about one alltho I would like to see you all When you Write A Gin Pleas to Writ how Gramother is if you think of it I will put you in a flower that I got on the Battlefield of Bull Run on the verry ground by the House Where the Women was shot in Bed the House is all torn down now it may look to you funny as it Came Where it Did.” In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed to “Lake Village, N.H.,” which is now Lakeport, New Hampshire.
Judith Carter Henry was unable to leave her bedroom in the Henry House when fighting commenced on July 21, 1861. When Capt. James B. Ricketts (Battery I, 1st U.S. Artillery) began receiving rifle fire, he concluded that it was coming from the Henry House and turned his guns on the building. A shell that crashed through the bedroom wall tore off one of the widow's feet and inflicted multiple injuries, from which she died later that day. She was later buried in front of her home.
