Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Sara A. Hotchkiss, March
15, 1863
Summary:
Hotchkiss writes about the horrible destruction of war, the bad weather in camp, and the
environment around the camp. He comments on the farm and affairs back home, and a possible
commission for himself.
Sara A. Hotchkiss
Sunday Night March 15 th 1863
Moss Neck, Caroline Co. Va.
My Own Dear Wife:
I wrote you a few lines the other day when I received your welcome letter, but promised that
should not be a bar to my writing agian today, as usual, so I am now prompt to fulfill my
agreement, and you must credit me largely for doing just what you desire. I suppose I write to
you today for the last time from this place, for orders are out for us to move, at dawn
tomorrow, to a new camp, just in the rear of the last battlefield, 8 miles up the river from
here, and we shall go unless this storm, that has opened upon us today, with thunder and
lightning, rain, hail and sleet; shall continue with too much fury. We have been here just
three months, a long time, but how speedily it has gone, inaction has made it seem short, not
like the month, yea year long weeks of the busy summer that preceded this long rest, now, alas!
again to be broken by a repetition of the same sufferings, privations and bloody battles that
marked the previous Spring, Summer & Fall, I was going to add, Winter; for the last
battle was almost mid-December. Activity must soon succeed to this quiet and the storm, the
tempest & the hurricane of war
[page 2]
begin to rage again -- O when will it cease,
when shall the plowshare of death give way to that of life & the land enjoy its now
desecrated Sabbaths once more. God grant to shorten these days before we all perish -- You ask
me what I think of the signs of the times -- Speaking from the outward & human
appearance they are gloomy and portentious enough, to us: the whole sky is blackend by the
prodigies War has conjured up, with aid of its sister furies Pestilence & Famine, and
only evil seems to threaten us, but it was even so one year ago, the same gloom palled our land
and the same spirits of evil were everywhere brooding over it, but we bowed humbly before our
God & confessed our sins as a nation, we girded up ourselves as men, and lo they all
passed away and "the winter of our discontent" became a glorious summer of rejoicing, crowned
by a plenteous harvest time of farms and blessings -- so may it be again, yea I am confident it
so will be --
"Indulge not the Lord by feeble sins
But trust him for his grace
Behind a frowning Providence
He hides a smiling face."
I have always found Him "a very
present help in time of need & so I trust he will continue to be to our land and nation
as he has been to it in times gone by -- but not remote.
So let us take courage and be of good cheer for the Lord of Hosts
is our helper & we will not fear what [unclear: waits us] can do
[page 3]
How
the storm is raging! the hail and rain are pouring down on my canvas
roof and a chilly dampness attests the penetrating effect of this moistened atmosphere -- all
seems gloomy & cheerless, dark and disagreeable, but tomorrow morning may and likely will, find the sun streaming
thorugh the dissipating vapors & cheering us with a spring morning -- thus, ever, it
happens with human things -- as you wrote me, in halcyon days of the now long ago that "every
cloud has its silver lining", so let us reflect that "joy cometh in the morning" and "fear no
danger", trusting to Him that is mightier than the mightiest.
We have had a very good place here, the climate has been mild, though damp, and we have had a
good degree of health and comfort here and I can but think Providence wisely ordered that
McClellan should leave the Valley & we follow him and find our winter quarters nearer
the sea & in a milder climate. Things have changed much since we came here, one large
forest covered the crest of the chain of hills running along from one to two miles from the
river, and stretched back for nearly a mile and in the edge of this forest, peeping out towards
the river, were the baronial, almost, mansions of the old F.F.Vs of
"The Northern Neck", but we have had our camps along these hilltops, and the trees have
disappeared & houses that never looked at each other in the almost century they have
been standing stare each other impudently
[page 4]
in the face -- having barely the trees
that surround them left to tell of the lordly race from whose destructions they are spared --
so it is here -- but across the river they too are gone and whatever new generation shall live
in that land they cannot say they sit under the trees their fathers planted -- We pay nearly
One Hundred thousand Dollars for damages to the farms on which we have encamped & from
that you may form some idea of the "abomination of desolation" an army produces -- Boswell has
sent after a servant and when it comes I shall try and send William up to help make garden
& he will make Allen help him & so push it along -- I hope Nelson has found
some one to buy the farm -- if I could only get away for some two weeks I think I might find a
purchaser, but it of no use to ask now -- for the days of activity are coming on and we must work -- besides I do not wish to do anything that might lead to a loss
of my place with Gen. Jackson for then I should be compelled to join
some company and serve there, or only be detailed on a private's pay -- Gen. Jackson wants me
commissioned & I may get so by the application I have made, but so many appointments
have been made from Va -- that it is next to impossible to get any one appointed from that
state -- as it is I am here by Gen. Lee's orders & so far all is right, but the
officers at Richmond are doing all they can to get every one into the ranks that is not
commissioned -- but I do not fear -- my services are needed here -- they are appreciated by
those I am with and I have too well committed the lesson "Learn to labor
and to wait" to forget it at this time -- so I may not absent myself much as I desire to close
my business matters, but I shall press them up as much as I can - - Be of good cheer my love
& pray for a shortening of these days of separation & may God bless you in all
blessings -- Write very soon -- we have no news -- Love for you all --
Your Affectionate husband
Jed. Hotchkiss
I will write to Nelly after we move. We are to go at dawn tomorrow --
