Farmville, Virginia,

April 14^th 1865.

           

Dear Sister,

                        Mary, yours of the 3^rd I rec'd this morning and will answer it at once. I dont know when the mail will go back from here again but will write so I can send it the first opportunity I have. this is the second mail we have had since we left Petersburg twelve days ago. we are now about 10 miles from Petersburg, on the Railroad towards Linchburg. Since the surrender of General Lee our Army has been marching back towards Petersburg again. I think that our Brigade will stay here a few days longer, until the Army has all passed by, and all the prisoners are paroled, and sent away. our authorities are paroling Gen'l Lee's Army and letting them go home. I cant hardly approve of that it may all be for the best but I cant see the point now the Rebel Officers are going to ride around the town here with their swords and side arms on, it seems as though our Officers were sadly demoralized (that is) some of our Brigadiers. I am afraid they are dealing to lightly with traitors, for our own good if not for theirs. it would be a hard matter for me to tell you how many thousand men Lee surrendered. it is somewhere between 15 & 35,000. they live all through this country here, there is a squad of them now going by the house. they are going home. this house that I am now in is just out of town. this town puts me in mind of Wellsboro, just about such a place. there are two or three men from this house in the Rebel Army. there are two of the youngest boys here with the negroes yet. they took most of the furniture with them when they left. there is a nice piano here yet and several sofas. /

 

            I have not seen Wallace since the Spring Campaign has opened. I saw Albert Chase night before last. I dont know but I shall see Wallace in a day or two, the 5^th Army Corps has not passed by here yet. if it does pass here, I will see Wallace. Albert said that he saw Wallace last week. he was well then.

 

            I dont know whether I shall get up there this month to get any warm sugar or not. if I dont, you can keep some for me, and I will eat it cold.

 

            So H. P. Knowlton has made up his mind to be a soldier has he. I dont think that U. S. will want that last call he made for me. I am sorry too for some of them, for just as they had made up their minds to drafted go to war, the war had to close. I hope that Bill Kennedy has got his bounty all right, for a $1000 dont grow on every tree, especially after the Rebellion has played out.

 

            Mary, as I dont know when I can send this away, I will wait awhile.

 

Half past four P.M.

I will now finish this, as I can send it away in the morning. there is nothing new to write about. we are having very nice weather here. Peaches and apples have been in bloom for the past two weeks. the woods are leaving out very fast, the gardens look very nice, the flowers in full bloom and some folks have their gardens all made.

                       

So I will close for this time.

           

please write soon and all the news.

                       

accept love for all from your

Brother W^m Chase.

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