Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Nelson H. Hotchkiss,
September 28, 1862
Summary:
Hotchkiss writes to his brother on various topics, including recent battles and troop
movements, his daughters' education, the lack of army provisions, northern opinions of the war,
and the growth of the Confederate Army.
Nelson H. Hotchkiss
Sunday. Sept. 28th., 1862
Bunkers Hill, 12 miles below Winchester
My dear Brother;
I got a letter from you while I was in Frederick City; the first one for a long time then
that I received from home; since then, as before, we have been
going, going, and I have not found time to write, though I have often thought of it. I wrote to
you, I think, soon after the Manassa fight, then we crossed into Maryland and took a turn and
came back to Martinsburg and then went to Harper's Ferry and
captured it, with the large stores etc. there, an account of which you have seen, then we came
back up the river and fought the hotly contested battle of Sharpsburg in which no decided
advantage remained with either side, though we gained the day on each wing, but Gen. McClaws
failed to attack, as ordered, in the centre, and so no results came from our advantage, though
we held the field of battle all the next day and buried our dead and collected our wounded, and
then retired unmolested across the river during the night of the 18th. The next night a large
force of the enemy came across and routed our picket on the bank and took 4 pieces of
artillery, but Gen. Jackson went down in the morning and sent them howling back, killing some
500 of them; since then all has been quiet. We moved our camp to near Martinsburg, and have
been there until yesterday when we moved up here to find a better camp, foraging, etc. This
country is almost destitute of every kind of forage or subsistence, for it has been full of
armies for a long time. It is quite dry here too, though the people have been sending some. I
could not buy anything in Maryland for the want of Maryland money, as we did not oblige them to
take Confederate money, leaving every one to their own choice. I bought 20 yards of fulled
cloth in Charlestown, some of which I intend for the servants, but will have to have some
clothes for myself off it. When
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we are near a town, on a march, our wagons are not
with us, and there is no way of carrying anything but on your horse, and when on duty that is
impossible, so I have not been able to get many things that I would have desired to purchase
for you and Harriet. You asked my advice about sending Elmore to Mr. Stover. I think you had
better send him; it will be much better than to have him lose so much time. I also think it
will be well for you to employ Allie and keep the girls going, have them pursue a regular
system of studies though, not merely music and painting, but common things, Reading, Writing,
Arithmetic, etc., and it would be better for them to have 4 or 5 other scholars with them: it
affords a stimulus that is wanting where there is only a family. They cannot too thoroughly
learn the common branches; they are the basis of an education, and unless completely mastered
all things besides will be comparatively worthless. See that Allie has all that she wants, of
everything that can be had. If I find needed articles I will buy them, but I do not expect to
find anything unless we go North again, and I do not see any chance for that at this time. It
was a great thing, a glorious achievement, to free our state from the enemy and drive him
beyond the Potomac. Defence is our true policy much as we might desire some other, and as long
as we can hold our foe in check, and strike him hard blows when the opportunity offers, so long
we are doing well and our cause is prospering, we gain by delay and the enemy loses. Our army
is filling up from conscripts and men returning from hospitals, etc., and it is thought we
number more now than we did before the recent battles. We must reorganize, though, for many of
our regiments have lost all their officers, and some regiments are reduced to mere companies.
The Yankee papers
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say that one regiment of ours opposed two of theirs and three
batteries and they could not move it. The 1st Louisiana
Regiment had 10 color bearers shot, and had 144 bullet holes through
the flag and flag staff.
I have written to Staunton for a pair of boots,-to have them made. I cannot find a pair high enough in the instep. I could have bought a pair very reasonably in Maryland if they had been high enough at the pinching point; as it is I am almost barefooted. I hope you will have grain enough for us and vegetables. I want to eat any quantity of vegetables if I should be fortunate enough to get home during the winter. I see no signs of peace as yet, and still think as I did at first, that only a change of administration will bring a change of policy in the North.
I saw any number of N.Y. men at Harper's Ferry, men of the better class. They had volunteered because they did not wish to be drafted, and New York had furnished her part of the 600,000. The privates all wanted to go home and stay there and were willing to let us alone, but the officers thought we ought to submit to the old flag, and had no right to set up for ourselves, and all such nonsense.
I hope I may get to come home before long. I am not very well just now; have a touch of diarrhea and headache, but hope I may get over it soon. I am keeping quiet now.
My best love to all. I have some nice paper, envelopes, etc., for Allie and the girls if I can ever get a chance to send them to them. Write often, and I will try and do better, if we do not have so much racing to do.
Your affectionate Brother,
Jed. Hotchkiss
I wrote a few words to Father by Col. Seguin of Auburn.
