Dec 5^th                                     

Letter No. 1.                                                                          

Block 1 Room 12 Johnson's Island. Near Sandusky Ohio

December the 5^th 1863.

 

            My Dear Friend,

                                                Your very welcome favor of the 30^th ult was was rec^d last night & as you have been answering my letters with such unusual promptness of late I'll assure you that it is with more than ordinary pleasure that I assume the pleasing duty of answering your letter tonight. You were very correct in your opinions in regard to the contents of the Dr's letter. I felt very anxious to impart the intelligence the letter contained, to you but, refrained from doing so for the identical reason stated in your letter. Since the first intimation I rec^d of the fact that efforts were being made to effect a parole for me I have allowed myself to entertain a very faint, secret hope that those efforts might possibly be successful; not-with-standing it has been my experience so far in this war that such hopes were doomed to disappointment; however, if it should be granted me, I'll assure you it will indeed "be a joyful surprise". My desire to meet once more my dear friends & the loved ones at home has increased to such an extent that it has become almost unbearable. But as we are the creatures of circumstances let us abide them. I was not acquainted with the gentleman mentioned in your letter but this evening I started out to find him which I did with but little difficulty. He is the same refered to in your letter, viz. 1^st Lieutenant Ambrose R. Woodruff of the Amherst Artilery & a nephew of your Aunt Bettie's. I found him to be a very pleasant gentleman indeed, preposessing in his appearance & quite handsome but I'm sorry to add—on your account—that he is a married man or so I understood him to say in the short conversation I had with him this evening. / He was clerking in a Bank at Petersburg Va at the time the war commenced he then returned to Amherst Co. where he joined the Amhs^t Art. He was captured in the Battle of Gettysburg & has been here a prisoner since the last of July last. He requested me to say to your Aunt Bettie that since he has been here he has written twice to her & once to a firm in St L. but has never rec^d any reply whatever, so he concluded that they were even too strong for the Union to write to a Rebel prisoner. I am aware that your Aunt's prejudice for "Rebels" & our cause is very great but I told him that I hardly thought she would carry her prejudices to such an extent as to refuse to write to her nephew. He wishes me to send his love to her & request her to write to him. I shall cultivate  his acquaintance & will be the better prepared to speak of him in my next. I rec^d a letter a week or so ago from Lelia that I have not yet answered & I suppose she thinks I am paying her back in her own coin but indeed as you know it is not at all intentional on my part. In the event that it should be my happy privaledge to meet my friends again soon I wish to disabuse their minds of the 'complimentary idea' communicated to them by D^r Boyle. I'll assure you I did enjoy the "the walk" with Miss Anna, though she was the secon^d & not 1^st lady with whom it was my sweet privaledge to converse since my imprisonment here. Col. P. was doing well when last I heard from him. I have much more to say to you now that I've "got started" but the call for "lights out" is about to be sounded so I will close for the present I must add however that you would certainly excuse & over-look the mistakes contained in this if you could know the noise & confusion which surrounded me. Warmest regards to "Aunty" & all With much love I remain as ever

                                                                                    Your Friend            Jno. J. Miller

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