Channing Moore Bulkley (1844-1863) writes to his father from Selma, the Hilleary home (his mother's family) in Petersville, MD. It seems that Channing and William, their siblings and their mother Anne E. Bulkley are living there while Rev. Olcott Bulkley is in Missouri, preparing for the family's move there. This is the only letter we have from Channing, one of the brothers who died in the Civil War. It was transcribed by his sister Laura Bulkley Dinsmoor, presumably to preserve its contents.
Selma, April 20th 1857.
My dear Father:-
I received your very kind letter some time ago, but I have been detained from answering it by a spell of sickness. I had the mumps about one week. I went down to Uncle Tommy’s last week to help him to drive his cattle. I had a very pleasant time while I was down there. Cousin William Johnson took me down to the Furnace. We saw some of the men burning charcoal. It was the first time I ever saw them burning charcoal. It is a very pretty country down about the Cotoctin Furnace. We had a very fine pike from Frederick to Lewistown: the country is very level and the people make a great deal of hay. Uncle William has sent down there once after a load of hay, and is going to send down there again this week some time to get another load. Uncle Tommy gives it to him.
Mother had a headache yesterday and was obliged to go to bed. Today it has been snowing and Willie and I remain at home but I expect we will go tomorrow if it is clear. I like Mr. Gootu very much, but I don’t think he is as good a teacher as Mr. Falconer, he is not so strict as Mr. Falconer. Every Saturday night he says he is going to turn over a new leaf Monday morning, but when Monday morning comes he sets in the very same way he left off Saturday night. Mr. Jones has become dissatisfied with Wheeling and gone to Baltimore to get a situation. His wife has been in bed for five or six weeks at Auntie Wootons.
All at Selma send their love. You must excuse all mistakes and bad writing and believe me,
Your affectionate son
Channing M. Bulkley