Mary A. Rondeau to Richard Yates

Golconda Ill August 16th

To his esecenlency

Gov Yates

Dear Sir

I wish to ask afavor of you which I hope you will grant

My son Leander Sterling volenteered in the Union Army one year ago and he has never gone or been musterd in to sevice & has never been conciderd fit for service & was never interrupted untill afew months back some one or two Cam is hunting deserters and wish to take my boy he is diseased all over has been subject to spelles of insainity for [sixe?] years & he is my onely child and helps to support me & the Capt of the Company he volinteered under conciderd him crazey at intervals long enough before the war and had often spoken to me about him long before he ever thought of geting up a company but It was hard for the Capt to make up his company here & he influenced my child to join without my knoweledge & befor they left for Springfield he was attacked with one of those spelles & ran back home to me they said that they did not wish him any more so I was so confident he never would do any good in the army I therefore try to keep him at home he is afflicted in this way for at least ten days or more every four weeks or two months has a disposition to want to kill his best friends

at the time my Husband has often told those men that are anscious to get him for the money that he was never inlisted or musterd into Service & was not fit for service but all does no good My Husband is only his Step Farther & has done all he could in prasicuting the War by speaking & helpt to get up several companies here & we would be as anscious as any Loyal citizens for him to hav gone ha we thought he could do any service My Husband told me to set down & write to you myself & if nessary I can giv you cirtificates from a good many citizens here certifying to his derangement

Dr. Rondeau my Husband can giv you all information if needed he is my only child not of age he volinteered in the hundred & twenty with Col. G. W. McKaig's Regiment please my Dear Sir grant me a discharge for my Son if you possibly can and I will be under lasting obligations to you for I spend such amiserable life on the account of him did he hav his mind I would much rather he was in the armey he has been anscious to go all the while but he would be nothing but a trouble & I fear he would do things he would be shot for when crazey please answer my letter if you think me worthy of answer I was requested by a number of citizens here to write to you Yours respectfully

Mary A Rondeau

Ans Aug 28 - 63 Rondeau Mary A

File R Golconda Aug 16 1863.

Has a son, a member of Col. McKaig's Regiment he is subject to fits and is sometimes insane Wishes a discharge for him.

was not mustered into service

Recd Ex O. Aug 25 1863,