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From Sjur Knudsen Aga Ullensvang, Hordaland, 29.August 1838. To Svein Knudsen Lothe, Chicago Illinois.

To my beloved brother and friend, Svend Knudsen.

After a long time of waiting, I finally got your letter. You can not imagine how glad I was when I realized it was from you. This was the first sign from you for almost two months. As I red your handwriting over and over again, my tears started to fall down my cheek. We all miss you so much here in Norway. I hope Chicago is all that you hoped for, and that your dreams for a new life have come true.

Here in Norway things are not going so well. Unfortunately, for a couple of months ago we lost our beloved son, Ole. The doctor thought it was the pneumonia, but there was nothing they could do about it. It was a wonderful ceremony, and I am sorry you have to hear about the tragedy like this. It was a big lost, but life must go on.

I shall send all the love from the rest of the family. They are worried for you all the time, but they wish you all good. All of your friends miss you too, and I shall send greetings back to you. They were just as excited as I was, when I told them we got a letter from you. We all sat down and were quiet while I red your letter over and over again. Most of us want to emigrate like you did, but that is impossible right now. My wife wishes you all good, and your nieces and nephews miss you too, and hope to see you soon.

At nights I wonder how life would be, if I had moved to Chicago with you. In your letter you wrote "Come to me my brother, your children will thank you for it." But I do not know what is best for my wife and my six children. We have more than enough difficulties to survive here in Norway, with all the diseases and no cure. I am actually in doubt when it comes to move or not to move to Chicago. As you wrote in your letter: "All of Norway is too small compared to any place in America." How shall I interpret that? Would my life get better if I moved to Chicago? In your next letter I hope you will describe more in details what you mean.

But how are you doing in Chicago? I hope you have a wonderful life and all what you dreamed of. I can not imagine starting a new life in a new country. It must be quite special that no one knows you there, but at the same time kind of sad. You have to get all new friends, but I doubt that is a problem for you. I hope you in the next letter can tell us a bit more what your daily life consist of? What do you work with? Hope you and your family has a good financial and no worries in your new life. I have also heard that you got a free land when you first got there. How wonderful. Last month our crop at the farm did not survive a terrible storm that hit us. We lost plenty of food, and we are now struggling to survive. Things are not going as well as we hoped for here.

Time is running by, and so is this letter. I will end it with all love and wish you all good in life. Take care of yourself, and I will be looking forward to the day we meet again. It might come sooner than you expect. All the love from your brother, Sjur Knudsen Aga, and the rest of your friends and family back in Ullensvang.

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Civil War

To my dearest wife, Magda. 16.December 1863.

I finally got the opportunity to write to you. The time here are pasting by for every day, and I miss you more and more for every day. Your letters are the biggest support for me here in this terrible war. I read them every day, over and over again. I miss you so much, and I can not wait until the day we meet again.

Last week the Sergeant ordered my company out of the area, but then they told us to stay. A small glint of hope was washed away in a second. The sergeant also says that we will soon win this war. The victory is our. But I doubt. I do not want to worry you, but the dead bodies keep running in, one by one. The fight is hard, and many people have suffered enough. Is this war ever going to stop? Most of the companies are in fine condition considered all the dead ones, but I do not know how long they will keep having fait. Only time will show.

The thing I do not look forward to, is to spend Christmas Eve without you. It will be a sad and dark Christmas for us here out in the line. Most of the time we have to lay in the ground and be quiet, so the Yankees do not hear or see us. This will be my first Christmas without family and friends. Off course I have got new friends here, but you know what I mean.

Have you heard anything from your brother? The last thing I heard about him was that he and his company were ordered further west, while I am still here south. The fight is harder there west, but there is probably nothing to worry about.

I do not know how long this war will last. I hope it will end soon. I am dying to see you, and the rest of the family. You must wish them all good from me. The time is running out, so is this letter. As I send it away, every day I will be waiting for a new letter from you. Let me know how you are doing.

Dear Magda, I miss you and not least love you of all my heart. From your beloved husband, James.