Maria Stark Writes to the Stark Family in Perry, Kansas, 1863

Letter from Maria Stark to the Stark Family at Perry, Kansas (Part 4, September 1863)

Note: These old letters are part of the Stark family heritage and were shared with us by Irene Gordon of Ozawkie, a Stark descendant. The letters are 127 years old [in 1990], written in long hand by Gilbert Stark to his family. As we copied them we typed as nearly as possible the spelling and punctuation as he used it. A soldier in the Civil War, Gilbert Stark paints a picture of his times, which we now share.

[From Maria Stark to Eliza A. Stark] 

Darby C. Plains

September the 1^st, 1863

Dear Mother,

After the elapse of over a week, I find myself trying to address a few lines to you. I hope you are all well and enjoying life. I feel pretty well at present. But Kittie is not very well, she has the diareah very bad, and wants to drink all the time. she has had it for 3 or 4 days  she is very cross and restless  I have ben 3 or 4 days trying to write a letter to Gilbert  have just finished it. I think it is the change of water or else of weather, or diet, you know she always made a meal of potatoe[s], here she has none  there is not but few potatoes in the County. the weather is very changeable  we have had hard frosts for 3 or 4 nights. The corn is not out of the way yet.

Well I presume you would like to know how we got home. We got to Grafton just in time, arrived at Delaware all safe. when I got off the cars someone caught hold of me and kissed me before I had time to look around. come to find out it was Annie  she said she had been there for the last week. she lives about a half mile from the depo. she made Ann go and stay with her until Monday. We arrived at Milford a little past noon  our folks was there Thursday and Friday but did not expect us Saturday. we went over to Mr. Reeds and Tom rode along in the evening  he seen me on the Portico and stopped. I did not know him, until Lillie said it was Tom  it was so late he could not go home and back again in time for us to go home  we stayed all night and Tina came after us Sunday  found our folks all well.

Tom’s wound looks very bad  I am afraid it will always be running sore  he goes around to[o] much on it. His cough is better. Ann started to the station to school yesturday if you believe me  I feel homesick and lonesome  Kittie is looking and calling Mina and her Granpa all the time.

I seen Sinclair  he said Gilbert was as well and hearty as he ever seen him when he left. he said he was coming over this week  then I can find out more about him. I have not got my letters from him since  if there does any come to Brunswick please forward them on and I will make it all right. I guess I have not left anything but that Itch ointment  I carried it down stairs and left it on that shelf in the dining room. I am sorry for it  Kittie is breaking out again. I wonder if it would melt if you put a little in a piece of writing paper and send it in a letter  if I had a little I could have the doctor make some like it. how do you all get along? how is the baby? Now it is getting late and I must take this to town  I cannot think of anything of importance to write. my Compliments to Malztta. tell her I will soon write her a letter  my love to all. The girls say please accept their compliments.

            no more from your daughter, 

            Maria A. Stark

I forgot to leave Gilbert’s directions

Mr. Gilbert J. Stark

Company B, 32^nd Regiment O V I

4^th Brigade, 3, Divission

Memphis, Tennessee

care of Capt. Sinclair

please forward to the Regiment

[Gilbert Stark enlisted in Company B, 32^nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 8, 1862. Company B was recruited mainly in Union County, Ohio. The 32^nd Ohio served in western Virginia, at the siege of Vicksburg in Tennessee, and in Sherman’s campaigns including the March to the Sea. Gilbert Stark was promoted to Corporal on January 1, 1863. “U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865,” gives his age at enlistment as 27. The record notes that he was a prisoner of war. A September 1864 letter to the “Citizen and Gazette” reported that he had been held in the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia, for a year. 

Gilbert Stark survived the war and was mustered out on June 17, 1865. He eventually moved to Perry, Kansas, with his wife, Maria, and their daughter, Kittie. They had two more children, Eliza “Lida” Ann and Gilbert Franklin. Maria Connor Stark died in 1872. Gilbert Stark remarried, twice. He died in 1887. Gilbert and Maria Stark are buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Perry, Kansas.]

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1990.