My very dear Sarah, The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days, perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more . . . I know but few and small claim upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar—that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name . . . But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved. I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and darkest nights, advised to your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours, always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead, think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

—Sullivan

The above is excerpted from a letter written by a soldier who fought and died in the Battle of Bull Run—and to his descendants, it is a treasure beyond compare. Letters like this, and other papers like it, create a vivid portrait of our ancestors. But without the proper care, they could be lost. This is also true of our own correspondence. (Don't our own descendants deserve some treasures too?) Below are some tips for keeping those old love letters, valentines from loved ones, family correspondence, and other paper items safe for future generations.

• Get (and keep) your treasures out of the attic, garage, basements, or other places where they can be exposed to dirt grime, insects, rodents, mold, and other document destroying forces of nature. Put them in archival quality sleeves to protect them from dust, moisture and pollutants in the air.

• Try not to handle them much, as the oils on your hands can also damage them.

• Don't use paper clips or rubber bands on your precious papers. The paper clips can rust, and rubber bands may melt (even at somewhat low temperatures) and leave stains.

• Store them in a climate-controlled place, preferably at a low temperature. Don't store them near outside walls, or near fireplaces where temperatures may be erratic. Regulating the humidity can help prevent mold, or conversely, the paper drying out and becoming brittle.

• Store the documents where light can't reach them. Light can cause paper to yellow and ink to fade. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight or fluorescent lights can also cause invisible chemical reactions that may further damage the documents.

• For extremely valuable documents, you may want to store them in a safe-deposit box. This can save them from fires, floods, or other disasters that may occur.

• Photocopy documents on acid-free, alkaline-buffered paper to preserve what is written on the document. You may also want to transcribe the document, but if you use a computer, keep in mind that hard drives may crash, disks can be erased or damaged, and the formats of today may be unreadable in a few years. Always keep hard copies of transcribed documents in several safe places in case of one of these technological problems arise.

With a little time and thought you can preserve your family's treasures for generations to come. For more information on preserving documents, photos, sound recordings, computer disks, and textiles, read Barbara Sagraves' book A Preservation Guide: Saving the Present for the Future (Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1995).