Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Sara A. Hotchkiss, August
21, 1863
Summary:
Hotchkiss writes of a Sunday in camp, commenting on the sermon at length. He hopes to get
leave to go home soon.
Sara A. Hotchkiss
August 21 st 1863
Head Quarters 2 nd Corps -- Orange Court House Va.
My Dear Wife and Children:
I have a little leisure in the cool of this evening & I will write you a few lines --
a little conversation, though far away over the Blue Mountains -- We
have had an "appointed day of fasting & prayer", and it has been well observed -- a
Sabbath stillness has prevailed & every one seems to have been impressed with a proper
sense of the importance of humbling ourselves before God, confessing our sins &
imploring his aid in the time of our extremity. Mr Lacy preached at our Head Quarters at 11 A. M. to some 1500 -- among them Gens. Lee,
Johnson, Rodes &c, & quite a group of ladies & children, on the nice
lawn in front of the house where we are encamped -- his text was from 2
nd
Kings 6th-16
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and he gave us a capital discourse in the
estimation of all that heard it. He said though we had suffered a few reverses they were only
needed to check our pride -- and in the only way it could be checked -- David had 3
alternatives offered to him for the punishment of his pride & he chose to fall into the
hands of God - -we had vainly thought we could do anything by our might and had arrogated the
glory to ourselves, but God had restrained us & it might prove our salvation -- He
called upon each one to make himself what he ought to be before God,
and then all would become good and a blessing could not be denied us. He argued that we had
been favored of God, that we had sought to acknowledge him by our acts, while our enemy had
ignored him & vainly boasted of starving us and such inhuman things which God could
not, from his nature, approve, & so he must be against them -- .
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He
administered a proper rebuke to frivolity "the mingling of blood & festivity", and gave
to each one his portion. There is quite a religious feeling in some of the Brigades &
many have been converted - five ministers of our church reported to Mr. Lacy this week, two
from Louisiana, one from Alabama &c - Mr. See is down here for a time - Dr. Ben Smith's
son is here for a day or so with Lt. Smith - he is a fine young man --. I thought while Mr.
Lacy was preaching, of the admirable notions you often have in your letters of the demands of
the times & the merging of self in the public claims of the notion - I must commend you
for your enlarged views of rights & duties.
I am very busy on the reconnaisance I wrote to you about, but hope to soon finish, when I
intend to ask to come home for a joyous week with you & my sweet babes - and if all
things are quiet
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Gen. Lee will grant it to me -- Won't it be
delightful to come for a whole week just to visit & feel free to visit -- I will not
dwell on it, only hope it may be so -- I do not often allude to my coming, only come whenever I
can, so I do not raise any expectations which I cannot fulfill -- I had rather surprise you by
coming unexpected than disappoint you by not coming when I had said I would come, so do not
look for me my Deary, but pray that all may be favorable to my coming I was pleased to see
Allen doing so well when I was home & hope he will continue to do well & I will
reward him -- I hope to be able to soon get him a pair of shoes will as soon as I can -- I hope
my little daughters are well -- and it comforts my long absence & deprivations of their
sweet & pleasant words & looks to know that they are kind & gentle
& pleasant to one another and to their Mother and that they are growing up like "Olive
plants around my table" -- that they thank God for all his mercies, that they learn the lessons
of His Holy Book and are trying to be like the Holy Child that went about doing &
saying good --. I have no news to write, My Beloved, but I know she wants to hear from [deleted: ] & I have written as I thought -- Write soon my ever loved one &
may God bless you --
Your affectionate husband
Jed. Hotchkiss
We get corn & tomates & potatoes now & are doing very well indeed -- How has Mr. Bear gotten -- I gave one large pear to Gen. Ewell & one to his wife & they enjoyed them much --
