To John Tyndall

My dear mother

I have not yet written to Dr. Tyndall¹ as I have been extremely busy of late, but I shall write to him when I have a little time to spare. I do not know that you are quite right in affirming that the Tyndall’s have degenerated even supposing them to have sprung from the stock of the Martyr.² No martyr could endure more than some of them are now enduring, and no martyr could endure it more bravely. I had a letter³ from Hector Tyndale⁴ a few days ago such as old Martyr Tyndale might and would have written had he been a soldier. Hector has been through those late terrible battles.⁵ He is Colonel of a Federal regiment, and all his seniors having fallen off from disease and death he commanded a brigade at the last great battle. His division suffered fearfully and he was carried apparently dead from the field by a Lieutenant and Sergeant of his own corps. He was hit by a bullet in the back of the head; it glanced along his neck, cutting up the muscles and finally lodged in front of his throat. Thence it was cut a flattened mass. His letter is like a battle itself, it is so grand and fiery. So you must not call all the Tyndall’s degenerate. I believe that they belong to the Martyr’s stock, for regardless of everything else I see the same stuff in the good specimens as that which made the martyr.

A merry Christmas to you and a happy new year.

Your affectionate son | John

RI MS JT/5/16a (unpaginated folder)

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