The Bixby Letter

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Schouler's two volumes "A History of Massachusetts in the Civil War" is available for free online and he does mention the Bixby family and the President's letter on page 577 of volume I.

It is interesteing that in a letter to the Governor he mentions Mrs. Bixby's situation in the context of another family, the Newhall's, that is petitioning the Army to discharge one of their sons from service. Apparently the Newhalls also had five sons serve the Union Army. None were apparently dead at the time but one was wounded and they wanted him discharged to home.

In the letter he reminds the Governer of a previous correspondence about a petition from Mrs. Bixby to visit one of her wounded sons and of her recieving $40 from the Governer for her expenses. Now he reports that she came to him with five letters from the War Department each informing her of the death of one (and now all) of her son's.

The Newhall petition and the Bixby situation were reported to the War Department. The reply stated that they would discharge the Newhall boy and request that the President send a special letter of condolence to Mrs. Bixby.

He then summarizes that the Newhall boy was indeed discharged and returned home and that he had the pleasure of hand delivering Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby. He does not mention how it came to be that the letter was published or of Mrs. Bixby's reaction to receiving the letter.

It is interesting that the letter reported Mrs' Bixby's address. In it he also claims "Mrs. Bixby is the best specimen of a true-hearted Union woman I have yet seen.”

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