JAMES DUNHAM, JR.
Civil War Letter to his wife, Margaret Elizabeth (nee Slonaker) Dunham
of May 9, 1864
Courtesy of:
Wayne & Donna Hunt of New Lebanon, Ohio
and their son, Marshall Hunt
September, 2001
from the momentos of Don Miller of Indianapolis, Indiana ca 1998
Transcriptions appear under the original letters.
If anyone can supply additional words where some are missing, please advise.
In this letter, James mentions "Jainy" and "Billy". Just who Jainy and Billy are is not known. One would think Jainy and Billy could be his children, but this writer cannot identify them at this time. It is known that he had a daughter, Mary Jane, but Mary Jane was not born until 20 days after his demise according to affidavits and records. Was Jainy then another daughter who possibly died while James was serving his country. This also holds true for the identity of "Billy." Known sons were Abdel, Charles Franklin, and James III. Could Abdel or James have had another given name, perhaps William and nicknamed "Billy?" In another letter he calls Abdel by the name of "Aby" and James as "Jimy." There does not seem to be a space where another child could fit into the birth pattern of the four known children. [ASH]
