The family of Laura Ingalls Wilder faces the Civil War

Lesson Plan Text:

This lesson uses an original letter by Laura's mother and another by one of her aunts to explore how Wisconsin women experienced life on the home front. It can be used in history, social studies, and language arts curriculums. Digital images of the handwritten letters are linked below, and typed versions are at the bottom of this page.

Introduction/ Background:  At the time the two letters were written, Laura's mother, Caroline Quiner Ingalls, was newly married and living near her parents in the town of Concord, in Jefferson Co., Wis. Living nearby were her brother Joseph Quiner and his wife Nancy, who stayed behind when Joseph left to fight in the Civil War. In these two letters, Laura's mother and her aunt Nancy each describe their lives to Laura's aunt Martha Carpenter, who had recently moved up north to Pepin County.

In Letter 1, written Oct. 6, 1861, Laura's mother describes her marriage, family, and an outbreak of scarlet fever that nearly killed Laura's grandmother. In Letter 2, written April 16, 1862, Laura's aunt Nancy shares her fears about her husband's fate. She knows that on April 6-7, 1862, the Battle of Shiloh was fought in Tennessee. She did not know, however, that Joseph had been wounded and would die on April 28th.

Lesson Objectives:  The students will:
   1) examine two original letters written during the Civil War.
   2) compare them to modern means of communication
   3) make a simple timeline, 1860 to the present
   4) learn the geography of Wisconsin and the United States
   5) compare descriptions in the letters with descriptions in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books

Information/Resources:  The original handwritten letters can be seen here (click anywhere, to zoom in):
   Letter 1, Oct. 6, 1861: Laura's mother describes her early married life
   Letter 2, April 16, 1862: Laura's Aunt Nancy confides her war-time anxiety
  Because the original letters can be hard to read, modernized texts are given below.

Additional Resources: A dozen other letters written home from the front by Laura's uncles are also available in Turning Points in Wisconsin History (here). No lesson plans have been drafted for those letters.

Suggested Activities: (more are available on our page, "14 Ways to Use Primary Sources in the Classroom." See also our pages on "Thinking Like a Historian." 

   1. Have groups of students investigate these questions: Why didn't Laura's mother just text her sister? [When did cell phones become popular? ca. 2005] Why didn't she send an email? [When was the Web invented? 1990s] Why didn't she call her sister on the phone [When did telephones become common? 1880s]
   2. Make a timeline starting in 1861 and ending today. Insert years for the inventions of the telephone, the Web, and instant messaging, and for the students' own birth year. Look up the following dates and insert them: birth of Laura Ingalls Wilder [1867], first "Little House" book published [1932], and death of Laura Ingalls Wilder [1957].
   3. On this Wisconsin map, locate the county where Laura's mother and aunt wrote the letters. Locate the county where her aunt Martha received the letters. Locate the county where you live and the county that contains Wisconsin's capital.
   4. On a map of the U.S., find Tennessee and Wisconsin. How many miles apart were Nancy and Joseph Quiner?
   5. Look at the cursive handwriting of letter 2 (Nancy to Martha). Why is it hard to understand? Why are periods, commas, and capital letters important?
   6. In letter 1, Laura's mother describes a serious medical condition, farm work, and the health of her parents. If you have read any of the "Little House" books, find a place where Laura described the same topics. How are the original letter and the modern book similar? How are they different?

Glossary: 
   dyptheria: modern spelling, diphtheria; Caroline's family had scarlet fever.
   providence: God, destiny, or fate.
   restoration: being restored to health; recovery.
   hops: a plant used in making beer.
   ploughing: modern spelling, plowing
   sowing: planting seeds
   'tis: contraction of, "It is."

Typed texts of the letters (with modern punctuation and spelling):

Letter 1: Laura's mother Caroline to her sister Martha

Concord, Sunday Oct 6th [1861]

Dear brother and sister,

I was at home today and mother told me how long it had been since any of us had written to you and thinking that you must be very anxious to hear from home, I thought I would write immediately. I have not had time to write since we received your letter until now.

Mother is quite well at present. Two of her fingers on her left hand she cannot use much. You asked me to describe the disease Ma had, but I don't know as I can. They called it the Scarlet Dyptheria [scarlet fever]. She was of a scarlet red from head to foot and of a burning heat, and when she began to get better the skin came off all over her. She could peel it off in large pieces. All her finger nails came off and as I told you before she has not the full use of two of them yet. She suffered much. You cannot imagine nor I describe how much. But I feel truly thankful to kind providence for her restoration.

Charlotte and Eliza had the same disease but very lightly, Louisa and Lafayette had it and were not expected to live but they too recovered and are well now. Louisa is a very pretty little girl. She talks considerable. Thomas is at home and just as good a boy as ever. He said last night he would give so much to see you. He would be so pleased to get a letter from you particularly for himself. Martha, you don't know how proud I am of him. Charlotte came home with me today. She says, tell Martha she is going to write to her when Ma writes again. She is getting to be quite a help to Ma.
 
And now about Charles and Caroline [that is, her husband her herself]. We are well and enjoying ourselves. You will think I am healthy when I tell you how much I weigh. I weigh 138 pounds. Charles is well but he has worked very hard this summer and is about tired out now. We have got our hops picked and pressed. It took three weeks with 20 pickers to pick them. We have sold $250 worth and have about as many more to sell as we have sold; but we do not expect to get as much for the remainder, as the price is reduced.

We wish you much joy with your baby. Oh how we wish we could see you all. You have chosen a very pretty name for your boy. Strive to bring him up to be an honor to his parents and his country. Kiss him for me. I suppose you have heard before this that Nancy has another boy. They have named it John for the first name and I believe Carpenter for the second. She is bound to keep ahead of you, I guess.

Monday night. Father Ingalls' folks have gone up to the head waters of the Baraboo River. They started last Tuesday. They felt very bad about leaving their place and it was too bad. They were too old to be moving, but Pa did his best to save it but he could not. Peter and Eliza have gone with them.

I did not tell you of father's health. He is not able to do much work and only that that is light. Dr. Chapman says he must not work.

I must bring my letter to a close. Charles was too tired to write tonight so you must excuse him. He unites with me in sending our love to you all. Write soon. From your affectionate brother and sister, [etc.]

 
Letter 2: Laura's Aunt Nancy to her sister-in-law Martha

Concord April 16th, 1862

Dear Sister,

I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that your little boy had been so sick. My little boys are well. Johnny is almost as large as Franky. There has been a great deal of snow here this winter but it is all gone now. It has been raining very hard this morning. 'Tis very muddy. Folks have not done much ploughing or sowing here yet.

[?Porsena?] is sick with a very bad cold. She has not sat up for above a week. The others and Charlotte came up here last Friday night and stayed with me until Monday. Polly has got a boy, perhaps you have heard. It was two weeks old last Monday.

I got a letter from Joseph a week ago last Saturday. They were then in Tennessee but they have had a terrible battle [Shiloh, also called Pittsburg Landing]. These past two weeks we have not heard the particulars. I am almost crazy. I have scarcely eat, drank or slept since I heard of the battle. I am so afraid that Joseph was hurt. It seems I could fly away to where is. Oh, I feel so bad. I would give worlds, were they mine to give, if he was at home with us. Were it not for our little ones, I would go in one moment to him.

'Tis Thursday. I take up my pen again. I have been washing. It's raining again. Tomorrow I shall look sharp for a letter and hope I will get it. They talk of sending a lot of prisoners up to Madison to Camp Randall but I do not know what regiments they will send with them to guard them. I hope the 16th will come with them.

A little later: I should like to see you and your little boy. Franky has got so he can say 'aunt Marsy.' [Martha] I have been writing to Eliza Ann. I have no news to write and I can not write much this time, so excuse me. Kiss the baby for me. The little folks send their respects to you and Charles. Will you send me a lock of your baby's hair? Write soon and remember me.

This from your sister, [etc.]