Gregory^s Coners

Chesterfield County V^a

May 15^th 1865.

 

Dear Ari.

                                    I will try and write you a few lines to day to let you know that I am well and am still stopping out in the country at Gregorys. tomorrow one of the boys are going into camp to get some rations for us so I can send a letter to the mail by him. You see I am father from the Post Office then you are, and it makes it bad for us to get or send our letters. I received two letters from you last Saturday one of the 5^th and the other the 7^th of May. You want to know why I dont write oftner to you, and write to this one, and that one and the other one. you tell them that I ant going to write any more letters to any one. then thay wont look for one from me. what do you / think Ari. do you think that I can write any time and all of the time. I thought my-self that I should have a good chance to write after I got away from the Reg^t, but I have to go around so much or rather do go so much that I get so tired that I dont feel like writeing you see. thay keep sending for me to come and spend the evening with them and I dont like to tell them that I dont want to go, for thay use me first-rate. I have the nicest that thay have to eat, and the best bed to sleep in, and I dont know but I could have a fine gal to sleep with me if I said so, but thay all tell me this. I reckon you dont care much about the girls, like to talk with the old women best I reckon. Ari I care just as much about the girls out here as I use to at home and you know how much that was (dont ye) it seems funny to see how well the rebs use the Yankeys now. / I think that thay use us better then thay do their own soldiers. the Reb soldiers are here with us, lotts of them, and we get along first-rate. we will talk over old scrapes when we fought eatch other and how we whipped them or thay us. Every-thing is lovely. (lipp)

 

            You say the time seems long since I left home, how that. it is only sax wakes, four months from now then Johnny will come marching home that is not long I am sure. there is no more fighting to do, that is whats the matter. some say that the 24^th Corps will stay around Richmond all summer, but I dont know anything about it. I had as lives stop here as anywhere in the service.

 

If any one asks you where I am going to live after I get out of the service tell them way down in Old Virginia. if I was / not a married man I would not stop in N. Hampshire on any condition whatever. I would come out here and live kind of old fassioned. you said you did not think that President Johnson was the man to settle this war. I think he is. I will send you what Parson Brownlow says. well Ari I dont know as I have any thing more to write for I dont get much news out here. the weather is very fine. Give my love to Elmer and tell him Papa will come home soon. my regards to all the folks. except the love of your Husband in the Army of the James.

Serg^t S. B. Tarlton 

 

Monday Evening       

May 15^th /65

Second Dispatch.

                        Jeff Davis and Family were captured on the 10^th day of May at day-light at Irwinsville Georgia he was captured by Col. Richard of the 4^th Michigan Cavalry of Gen. Wilsons Command. Jeff was trying to get away in his wifes clothing when Col. Richard came upon him. perhaps you have heard all about him before this, but I thought I would write it as it would do no harm. this is Official from E. M. Stanton.

                                                                                    Secretary of War.

 

if the Little River folks doubt this you tell them that you know it is so. what are you going to do with old Jeff, Ari, shoot him to pay for Abe? the seccesh her are awful down on old Jeff. Still another

                        turn over

 

Hdq^rs Military Division

of West Mississippi,              

Citronelle, May 4^th

Lieut General Dick Taylor has this day surrendered to me with the forces under his command on substantially the same terms as those accepted by General Lee.

 

E. R. S. Canby

Major General.

So you see Ari, thay keep coming in to the Union. now if old Kerby Smith will concude to give up, we will then have all the organized force in the South.

well Ari I must stop, for I dont suppose this is interesting to you. the boys are all a bed and snoreing so I will close with much love from your affectionate Husband in the Army of the James.

 

Good night.

Serg^t S. B. Tarlton

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