I present here a letter from Eben N. Higley, formerly of the 27th Maine, and now in the US Navy, stationed in Portsmouth Harbor during September of 1864. He writes the following to his "friend" Julia:
| Sept 23rd 1864 On board U S Ship Colorado, Portsmouth N.H. Friend Julia Permit me to call you by the name of friend as it is a long time since you refused to let me call you by a name which was far dearer. But I will not say any thing about what has been. As I am in the Navy for one year I thought I would like to open correspondence with some one and for that purpose have written to you. I will not write any more this time but will wait an answer from you to know weather my request is granted or not. My health is good and |  |
 | I have a very good position being in the Engineers dept. Please write me who Anna West married and his trade and so I will close with many well wishes. Yours truely Eben N. Higley (Direct your letters) Eben N. Higley U.S.Ship Colorado Portsmouth N.H. |
Below is a clipping from the 1860 South Berwick, Maine census (pg 23), showing Ebenezer (Eben) Higley in the household of Walter Abbott. At the time, he was a 17-year old cordwainer. Also here is mill operative "Annie West", age 18, who is probably the person Eben was asking about in his letter to Julia. As the letter mentions she had been married, she may be the Annie W. West who married Nahum G Tripp on 15 May 1864 in Kennebunkport [they were divorced in 1866]
In this same census year for So. Berwick, there is a Julia Bennett, age 14, living in hh of Robert Fernald with several mill operatives. This household, numbered 155/175, is only four homes away from the above record, so it seems probable these two women are the ones in Eben's letter. Julia may have been the one who married George Bragdon in North Berwick in 1871, both of them from Wells [Annie W (West) Tripp, at the time of her divorce, was also in town] .
Eben (or Ebenezer) Higley had served in the Navy as a landsman in 1861, enlisting on 1 June for one year, and served until 9 July 1862. After his time in the 27th Maine, he reenlisted into the Navy, serving from 30 Aug 1864 to 6 July 1865. He was listed as a coal heaver. After the war, he became a machinist and an inventor, and lived in Somersworth, NH, where he died in 1920. He had a wife and three daughters (1 died young).
RSS Feed