Mary A. Emerson to Richard Yates

Chester Randolph County, Ills

Nov 21st/64

Hon. Richard Yates, Governor of the State of Illinois.

Dear Sir

Being well aware of the high position you occupy, it is with some embarrassment that I write & did I not know that within your bosom, beats a kind & generous heart I would not dare to do so. Heretofore you have lent a willing ear to tales of distress, have been a comforter to broken hearts & a friend to the suffering & feeling assured that you will not scorn my humble petition I will make known to you my present distressing circumstances. I am the mother of two soldiers who are in the field fighting for our beloved country & have been from the commencement of the war. They were my supporters for I am a widow & depended much on them for a living which

which I must say with truth had always been sufficient, but lately my boys have sent me no money, for they have not been paid for sometime. But for that I do not murmur had I not been so unmercifully used up by the great tornado that has recently passed through this place.

The hand of Providence has stripped me of my all & left me in a deplorable condition & to you I apply for aid, comfort & advice & I will tell you why. My helpless family were more or less injured by the storm; one of my children had a leg broken another a fearful flesh wound & two more badly bruised, myself not escaping severe injury, having my right ribs broken. I suppose some of the unfortunate people will recieve some assistance from the citizens, but for my part I have had no promise of help from that source, only this that some persons are taking measures to put me & my crippled ones on the county & to that I can never submit. In this

case I deem it unjust, more especially because it is a soldiers family & is it right because of my present misfortune to rank me with common paupers? Perhaps it may appear presumtious to you on my part to address you, but having heard of many kind acts & favors from you towards soldiers & soldiers families I am hopeful still that I will not be passed unnoticed. Governor Yates has been a friend to the people of Illinois & how often have we heard the soldiers bless him for his marked kindness to them & their families!

Once more to the point - if there is anything you can do for me in any way whatever, whether it be assistance or advice in Heaven's name, I beg you to do it. Every thing I owned was swept away & the family left in a crippled condition but if I can obtain some assistance from honorable sources sufficient to start me again, I shall be content to wait until I can do something myself. Hoping that I may find

favor with you, enough at least to induce you to write to me, I drop the subject. With great respect I subscribe myself your humble servent

Mary A. Emerson.

Emerson Mary A

Chester Nov 21st 1864.

She has two sons in the Army on whom she was wholly dependent for support & they dont receive pay any more, hence she is destitute.

Further - the late Tornado in that vicinity swept away everything she had & injured her & her two small children so that they will be helplessly crippled. If possible she implores the Govr in Heaven's name to assist her.

And. Porter