20th New York Cavalry

Item LTR-9416

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Fort Powhatan
April 16th 1865

Dear Wife,

I have been waiting some time to get a letter from you or mother but have not gotten any so I will write again. We have just received the news of the death of President Lincoln. It has cast a gloom over the whole camp and will retard the closing up of the war some time. But he lived long enough to see them whipped and us in Richmond. We expect our Captain back any day now. He is reinstated in his command and it will be a great day with old Company F when he does come. We don’t know but we shall go to Richmond yet the rest of the regiment is there doing provost duty and they may call us there. I hope not. I do not want to move again until I move home and then I shall move on as direct a line as possible. I should think that they would discharge us before a great while for I don’t see any use of keeping so large an army here a great while. But they are enlisting for the regular army and when they get enough they will probably begin to discharge. I hope they will begin soon. For I want to get home for the time goes by slow again since the rebellion has gone up for now. There is no excitement to keep our minds occupied. I have nothing to do now, only to see to the horses. I have turned in my arms and horse. There are not horses enough in the company to mount the men into 15 units, as there is no need. As while we stay here they have not wanted us for that. I should let another man care my horse and I might turn in my arms and then I would have nothing to do but to see to the horses. And as I am out of medicine I do not have much of anything to do and I am afraid I shall get lazy if I stay here a great while but I suppose I can stand it.

I had the sick headache day before yesterday and the rheumatism yesterday. But they too have left me last night and am all right today. It is the first time that I have had rheumatism pain since I left home. I do not feel in the right mood today so you must excuse me with a short letter today. If I feel like it I will write tomorrow or the next day.

Yours,

Joseph Hazen