Lowell W. Haven to Parker A. Haven and Caroline C. Haven, 30 April 1865
                                                            Camp 2nd Vt Vols Near Danville Va
                                                                                                                        Apr 30th 1865
 
Dear Father & Mother
                        I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well & hope these few lines will find you the same. we have been on the march a going we started a week a go to day from Barkesville Station & marched over 160 miles in 5 days we got here last Thursday night we ar camped in a large piece of woods with in a bout 2 miles from Danville the Town
 
since we got here we have hurd that the last Rebell Genl had surrenderd his armey (Genl Johnston) it is a bout 45 miles from here / whare he surrenderd we ar near the line of North Carolina & ar with in a bout 4 miles of it it is very forwerd down here this is the fartherest we ever was down south corn & potatoes ar up & every thing is a growing niceley
 
we ar camped in a nice piece of large wood timber it is shady & nice I am under a large tree a writing we now got our tents rased up from the ground & our beds up from the ground we dont know how long we shall stay here some think we shall stay here untill we start for Home we dont know how long that will be
 
well we can hardley make it seem posable that the fighting is over but it is sure but we can hardley make it seem / posable we had Co inspection this morning & was musterd for pay well we have just had 3 new Recrots come in to our Co Bernam Marsh the Fellow that uste to work for Stearnes he come out where the Co was rased he got wounded at the first Battle of Bulles run he has inlisted a gain in this Co & just got here we have been pruty hard up for rations on a count of the rail road our men ar a repareing it as fast as posable we ar not a lowed to forage eny thing around now eny one is to be court marshled that is keched we ar alowed to go to Town on passes there is guards stationed all a round Town & to all the Houses out side well we shall get our mail soon as the cars get to / coming a gain here we have not got eny mail since we got here nor had eny chance to send out eny well the time will not be long before we shall all be to Home a gain we meet with a great loss when Uncle Abe died that was a hard blow to us just at this time the Rebs will have a harder man to settle with now then they would before he was killed
 
well I cannot think of much more to write this time so I guess I will close hopeing to hear from you in our next mail & to hear from you a bout the law sute well I will draw to a close for to day for it is a bout buchering time & I am going to see if I can get a lion as we ar awful hard up for rations I have got 2 hard bred pot coffee a nough for my supper we shall not draw eny more until to morrow—
 
                                                                        good by for
(write soon)                                                     this time
 
                        from your Son L W Haven
                                    Co. I 2nd Vt Vols
                                                Washington
                                                            DC.
2321
DATABASE CONTENT
(2321)DL0512.01842Letters1865-04-30

Letter From Lowell W. Haven, 2nd Vermont Infantry, Near Danville, Virginia, April 30, 1865, to His Parents


Tags: Camp/Lodging, Crops (Other), Death (Home Front), Defeat/Surrender, First Battle of Bull Run, Food, Homecoming, Injuries, Joseph E. Johnston, Mail, Marching, Nature, Payment, Railroads

People - Records: 3

  • (809) [writer] ~ Haven, Lowell W.
  • (810) [recipient] ~ Haven, Parker A.
  • (811) [recipient] ~ Haven, Caroline C. ~ Childs, Caroline C.

Places - Records: 1

  • (102) [origination] ~ Danville, Virginia

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SOURCES

Lowell W. Haven to Parker A. Haven and Caroline C. Haven, 30 April 1865, DL0512.018, Nau Collection