Friday April 7^th 1865

 

Darling I had the good fortune to get a chance to send off some mail today as I sent my letter to you and now seat myself this P.M. to commence another letter to you. It has been raining slowly nearly all day. Doctor Hamilton and I went down the road today to see if we could find some wounded Rebel Prisoners that were left here by Sheridan on Saturday & Sunday last and we found none until we got down as far as Fords Station which is seven (7) miles from here and there we found a Rebel Lt Colonel (J. H. Hudson first Virginia Cavalry) and seven (7) enlisted men in the houses at the Station and they seemed pretty well provided for there. The cars are reported to be about two miles below Fords Station and as soon as they reach here they will be sent back with our sick men, and those wounded Rebel Prisoners will be sent also. The Rebels are under the charge of Surgeon Anderson of the 38^th Mich Vols. By the way I talked with one fellow down there and he said that they (the Rebels) were in about the same condition that the American army was in the war of the Revolution at Valley Forge and said also that he should not be surprised if they should come out about the same as General Washingtons army did at that / time but I told him emphatically that I could not see the point of any such arguments in the favor of the Rebel Army. By the way that Rebel Colonel (Hudson) was a very gentlemanly appearing man and I liked him very much or as much as I possibly could like a Rebel and I have not a very great amount of respect for Rebels any way. We have heard heavy firing nearly all day at the front but it sounds a great deal further off than it was yesterday.

 

Half past four o'clock P.M.

One of the correspondent of the Herald has just arrived here and says that our army took six (6) Rebel Generals yesterday and among the rest / was General Ewell and they also took thirteen thousand (13 000) men prisoners at Amelia Court House and General Lee retreated fifteen (15) miles last night in the direction towards Farmville where they are fighting hard today. General Lees army must be getting rather small at present and if he goes on in this way much longer Johnson and Braggs armys are all that he will have to depend upon soon and Sherman will get them whipped out before long as he has got more force with him than the whole Southern Skedaderacy put together can raise today. By the way the reason that the train has not been up here yet is that this / road has what is called the broad guage (five feet) track and they are altering it to four (4) feet eight (8) inches in order to run the common narrow guage cars on it clean through from City Point to Burkville and it takes considerable time and they have done pretty well to take up and relay twenty (20) miles of Rail Road track in three (3) days. They will probably be up here by tomorrow night or the next day at the farthest. Doctor Ainsworth (Surgeon in charge here) gave us a Divil of a talking to for not going to bed last night before ten (10) oclock and even told us that we were no gentle- / men to sit up so late when I know he was up himself until long after that. He has gone off this P.M. on a foraging expedition all by himself and he is in some danger of being shot by Guerillas but I dont want him to get shot because if he is I shall lose my Revolver that he borrowed from me when he started from here.

Well I must now close today so good bye darling with love and a kiss I remain

the same Joe Prince.

 

Saturday April 8^th

Darling I will try to write a few words more today. Capt Wise Mr Grady (the man who owns the house / where we now are) and I went down to the milpond on Nambozine Creek fishing this forenoon and after fishing nearly all the A.M. we got sixteen small fish which by the way Captain Wise bought of a Darkey who caught them before we got there. We rode down and back in an Ambulance as we could not afford to walk. By the way I have come to the conclusion I will go to the front instead of going to the hospital as if I go to the hospital I have got to go down to Point of Rocks and I dont want to go there and so I shall / go to the front as soon as the train comes up so please direct to me at the 2^nd Div Head Quarters as before. By the way the train is now in sight and not over a quarter of a mile down the road from here. After we went fishing today and before coming back we took a notion to visit some of the Southern Chivalry hereabouts and so we went over to see Mr Echols and his family as Mr Grady told us that Mr Echols daughter was the handsomest girl in this (Dinwiddie) County our curiosity was naturally aroused and we / called upon them and if he (Mr Grady) the truth all I have to say is God save me from being obliged to look upon the homely women of Dinwiddie County. I will tell you as near as possible how she looked. Her features were very sharp and in fact she looked a great deal like Lovina Hawkins except that her features were a little more regular. Her hair was almost a tow color with the least possible curl to it. Her form was far from what an artist would take for a model and her skin was as rough as Ellen / Fosse's. Well I think I have said enough in regard to this daughter of Southern Chivalry so I will talk of something else. The Rebel Soldiers whose homes are here in Virginia are leaving the Rebel service and returning to their homes and they say that the whole Rebel forces that belong in Virginia will desert Lee as soon as he leaves for North Carolina. They are all taking the oath of Allegiance. There is some prisoners just come in quite a little squad of them seventeen hundred and fifty (1750) of them / We hear that our army has taken seven thousand (7000) more prisoners today. Well I must close again but will finish tomorrow as I cant send this before tomorrow so with love and a kiss for my darling I will close so good night.

 

Sunday April 9^th 1865

Darling you must excuse me for not finishing this letter before this time in the day, as I had a surprise this forenoon. Lt Col (formerly Capt) Weiss , Lieut Ferguson and Lieut Spinney got here this morning and I was so / glad to see them that I hardly knew what to do with myself, and I have been talking with them ever since they got here without giving them a moments peace. There was nine thousand (9000) prisoners came in here today bound for City Point or Petersburg. By the way Libby Prison is now filled with Rebel Prisoners and so are all the Richmond Prisons. Well I must close again for the present so with love and a kiss for my darling I remain yours Joe /

 

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