I'm a sucker for a love story with a happy ending. I think I'm a fairly unconventional guy in this and many regards. My favorite movie is not the typical-guy action flick. Instead, I unashamedly adore the Before trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. If you know these movies, you get it. I love watching people fall in love, and I love falling in love myself.
In this 156-year-old Civil War-era love story, we find Arlon Atherton (pictured here) and Susie Caldwell corresponding about the horrors of war on one hand and everyday life on the other. It's quite the contrast. We know quite a bit about Arlon and very little about Susie.
Arlon enlisted as a Private in 1861 at 19. He was 23 and a Lieutenant when he received this letter, and she was 19 when she penned it. At the time of this writing, he was stationed in Alexandria, Virginia, at the U.S. Court Martial office on N. Fairfax Street. Arlon was severely injured and captured just the summer before. He spent a couple of months in Confederate custody in Richmond, Virginia's notorious Libby Prison. He would get promoted to Captain the week he received this letter and left the military honorably two months after reading it.
Arlon's letters to Susie, his diaries, and official paperwork are well documented and stored at the New Hampshire Historical Society, the Library of Virginia, and the University of Georgia. As far as I can tell, this may be the only letter in existence from Susie to Arlon.
There are many letters from Arlon that describe wartime cruelty. In one memorable account, he describes his discomfort watching a deserter kneel next to his coffin just prior to being executed for his crimes. In another, he describes his excitement about the passage of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. Those letters can be downloaded as a PDF here.
This letter begins, "My Dear Friend." I have seen this in many love letters from this era. They were just seven months from getting married, so, I gather there was no hidden message, just a custom of the times. When this happens to me nowadays, my heart sinks. It almost always means she's trying to tell me something.
Arlon and Susie would get married on Christmas day in 1865. After the war, they moved back to Susie's home state of Massachusetts, and Arlon set up a grocery store in Wakefield, MA. They had three children, two girls, and a boy. They would stay married for 57 years until Arlon died in 1922. Susie died three years later at 79. They are buried together in Warwick Cemetery.
I'd call that the kind of happily ever after love story in which Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, or I would be proud to be cast.
Images of Susie Caldwell's letter are below interspersed with a transcription:
My dear friend I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of one of your ever welcome letters bearing date February 24 which was received by me on Wednesday, together with one from my aunt Maria.
It is a beautiful day, very clear, warm, it has rained steady for the past two days and the snow is crusted over so it is nothing but a complete dazzle to look out of the window where I am seated, for the purpose of scribbling these few lines to you.
Hartley said today that they received a letter from Mindy and also one from you on Saturday; Adi did not come to church today as your grandmother wanted to come. Since I wrote last Evan Paul’s father has died of lung fever, he was buried on Thursday at 12 o’clock, just a week from the time his sons funeral was; it must be very lonely at that house for Sarah and
mrs. Ball. I believe Nelly wrote you about Evan‘s engagement, did she not? Nelly is answering two letters which she has received yesterday from Savannah, W. Said he had received a letter from you, was enjoying himself finally; his time will be out in about seven months I believe, and then I expect there will be riding enough don’t you?
I do not know whether I shall teach this summer or not but do not hardly think I shall, I want to go visiting at Boston and vicinity and I have an aunt and cousins at Booth they mean that I want to visit very much and I think I shall if nothing happens to prevent.
Theodore Putnam is at home on a furlough, he goes back on Tuesday, his time will be out sometime in April I believe. I suppose Jenny Tyler‘s school closes this week, I want to go in to the examination very much as I never was inside of that school house, but I’m afraid I shall not get there.
There was no singing school last week as Mr. mayo is sick and was not able
to attend and I am very much afraid he will not be able to attend the exhibition on Wednesday evening; if he is not I am afraid it will come off rather slim as he was to lead the singing and I do not know if anyone of anyone who will Take his place
I attended Lyceum on Tuesday evening but the debate was very uninteresting, no read a paper which was quite good.
William Leonard‘s father died yesterday at 11 o’clock, he has to be buried from the church on Tuesday at 3 o’clock.
Mr. Cole I believe I wrote you was failing very fast, is now getting better, he went from one room to another yesterday and they are in hopes he will get well. Mrs. Hill is quite sick with long fever, I should dislike very much to be one the one to take care of her, Mrs. Blanchard watched with her last night. I must not forget to tell you that Sami Stern‘s brother David was married last week to Sophia Taft. I do not know when I have been more surprised than when
I heard of their marriage, but perhaps, you do not know them; they are to keep house in Winchester.
We are to rehearse for the exhibition on the stage on Tuesday evening, I guess next Sunday you will get as long a letter as you will care to read that is if I feel as much of a writing mood as I did last Sunday, at least. I shall have plenty to write about.
I did not write to MINDI last Sunday as I thought I should; I understood Halsey to say that she begins to think about coming home, I think your folks must miss her very much. Annie is much better today than she has been for a week, I sat up from 10 o’clock Tuesday night until 4:00 Wednesday morning with her as mother and father had been up every night through the week with her. Greysi is nicely; she says she does like those good soldiers like Joe Spencer and Online and WARREN better’n she does the horrid rebels.
Yes, the war news is excellent as you say, I have been reading an account of the occupation of Charleston, I should think it must have been a desolate looking place when our troops took possession of it. I hope the next war news will be the fall of Richmond, (not Richmond New Hampshire). but I must begin to think about closing off this elegant letter especially this page of it yours with much love Susie m c
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