It was sad to wake up hearing on the radio that Steve Jobs had died. But apparently, I was one of the last to hear. The word spread across the world like wild fire. And it's fitting, because communication was much of what made up what Steve Jobs shared with us. It was his passion.
As I was reading about him this morning, Dave walked into the room to share with me a letter he'd just run across while unpacking some boxes. It's an original letter, written in 1863 by one of Dave's relatives, in beautiful script. A portion of this letter is attached below.
It's from Hanover and Deborah Briggs and written to their children. It looks like Hanover is the one actually doing the writing.
In the letter he's telling his other children that their brother, Harvey, has been killed in the war. Looks like they're receiving this word quite a while after Harvey died. Here are some excerpts:
Dear Children,
it is under the most painfull sircumstances that I address you. it is the Death of Harvey I got the word by the way of a letter from Dent Gist. he says he was killed in the great battle of the 22 of May in storming the breastworks at vicksburg. He says Harvy is the only man killed in our company one of the bravest men in the regiment.
I hope his name will ever be Dear to you. I feel to Mourn with deep regrett the loss of A precious Son, one that never gave me a saucy word in his life, one that never told me a rong story, one that never said any work was to hard for him to do. he has carried out the same principles in fiting rebbels.
...all the evils and cares of Earth and things present or things to come can ever wear the precious name of Harvey J. Briggs from my mind.
,,,I got a letter from Harvey writen Just one week before he was killed. I think the last he ever done. I will send you a coppy of it.
From your Affectionate Father and Mother,
Hanover and Deborah Briggs
The old ways of communicating, ones that took weeks and months, are gone. But they did have a certain charm and grace.
***
As I was reading about him this morning, Dave walked into the room to share with me a letter he'd just run across while unpacking some boxes. It's an original letter, written in 1863 by one of Dave's relatives, in beautiful script. A portion of this letter is attached below.
It's from Hanover and Deborah Briggs and written to their children. It looks like Hanover is the one actually doing the writing.
In the letter he's telling his other children that their brother, Harvey, has been killed in the war. Looks like they're receiving this word quite a while after Harvey died. Here are some excerpts:
Dear Children,
it is under the most painfull sircumstances that I address you. it is the Death of Harvey I got the word by the way of a letter from Dent Gist. he says he was killed in the great battle of the 22 of May in storming the breastworks at vicksburg. He says Harvy is the only man killed in our company one of the bravest men in the regiment.
I hope his name will ever be Dear to you. I feel to Mourn with deep regrett the loss of A precious Son, one that never gave me a saucy word in his life, one that never told me a rong story, one that never said any work was to hard for him to do. he has carried out the same principles in fiting rebbels.
...all the evils and cares of Earth and things present or things to come can ever wear the precious name of Harvey J. Briggs from my mind.
,,,I got a letter from Harvey writen Just one week before he was killed. I think the last he ever done. I will send you a coppy of it.
From your Affectionate Father and Mother,
Hanover and Deborah Briggs
***
