Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Sara A. Hotchkiss, March
1, 1863
Summary:
Hotchkiss writes to his wife, describing the weather in camp, the capture of Yankee cavalry,
the illness of a friend, and politics. He also discusses the shooting of deserters and reasons
that soldiers desert.
Sara A. Hotchkiss
Sunday Evening, March 1 st 1863
My Ever Dear One:
I wrote to you only a day or two ago by Sandy Garber and enclosed you five dollars, but my
letter was a brief one and I feel like writing you a longer one before I may hear from you,
though there is nothing of interest to communicate but you will expect my weekly call and I
cannot neglect to give you the benefit of the pleasure mutually derived by knowing, if nothing
more, that by God's good blessing we are still well and enabled to discharge the duties life
imposes upon us in its various relations. We have had snow, rain, mud, drying weather, rain
again all night, last night & today a genuine introduction of March -- "stormy March,
with clouds & winds and changing skies as the poet says -- the wind was up and played
his pranks about tent flies & tents and there was "a lengthening of ropes and
strengthening of stakes" on all hands -- by the way I have often been forcibly struck with that
expression of the Evangelist to denote "a vigorous preparation for anything; he, no doubt, had
often dwelt in a tent and knew the necessity for tightening the ropes when they dried after a
storm & stretched & of driving again the stakes which were loosened by the
tightening of the ropes when wet, these precautions are always necessary to enable a tent to
resist the winds after a storm --
[page 2]
The water carried away one of the R.R. bridges last night, so we will be cut off from communication for
a few days I suppose, though the bridge is not a long one. Gen W.H.F. Lee captured 150 Yankee
Cavalry a few days ago & bought them horses and all to his cause. Thursday the enemy
had a ballon up, on the other side of the river from here;
reconnoitering, I suppose, wishing to see if the way was open to Richmond, no doubt. Hooker
behaves much better, towards the people on the other side of the river, than one that preceded
him, not allowing his men to occupy churches or infringe on private rights as those before him
did. Yesterday a deserter was shot in the Brigade encamped quite near to us -- he wept
bitterly, wishing too see his family -- he fell dead, pierced by five
balls -- poor fellow -- it seems hard, but in no other way can the discipline of the army be
maintained. One fellow was shot who had been contented in the army until his wife wrote to him
with constant complaints until the poor fellow could stand it no longer and as he could get no
furlough he deserted & went home, was caught and suffered the penalty of death. The
work of discipline is going on -- a good many have been shot, some whipped, some drummed out of
camp and then put to labor with a ball and chain, some branded on the backsides with the
letters D. or C. for desertion or cowardice &c &c -- When will wars cease and
the necessity no longer exist for such brutal punishments, though necessary. One man escaped,
though fired on by three sentinels, the day before he was to be shot --
[page 3]
I dined at the General's to-day and after dinner Col. Faulkener asked Dr. McGuire and myself
to ride with him on two of his horses and we took a charming gallop of some five miles in the
exhilerating breeze, across this lovely plain to the river,
calling a few moments at Mr. Taylor's -- I never rode a horse that rode so easily &
went so nimbly -- I mean to try and get him of the Col. if possible that I may bring him home
for you to ride -- you would be beside yourself with joy to be borne along so gently &
yet fairly flying -- I felt much refreshed by the ride as I have been closely at my work and
confined to my tent by the bad weather that has so prevailed of late. Boswell has been quite
sick, went to a house for a few days, but he is now back and nearly well -- I gave him a dose
of my medicine & also some horehound syrup, as he had a bad cold -- The wine has been
very nice, we mixed some snow and sugar in some & it was admirable. I ate the first of
my butter today, Humphreys' lasted to this time -- My stock holds out well -- and I hope it may
continue so, for our worst time is to come. I have not read any French yet, have been so busy
that I have been too tired at night, but must begin before long -- I sent you the Jan. number
of the Southern Literary Messenger & sent to Richmond to have it sent to you regularly,
as you intimated that you would enjoy the perusal of it -- I hope he did not forget it --. We
have a chaplain that came to us today, the Rev. Mr. Lacy of Fredericksburg -- he is to stay
some time, so we may have
[page 4]
preaching again, the bad weather having prohibited it, out
of doors. Mr. Lacy says the Yankees used the Church in Falmouth for a hospital a while last
year then cleaned it out and made a theatre of it -- I fear our prospects of peace have been
all destroyed, the unprecedented action of the Congress of the U.S. in putting all the money of
the U.S. into the hands of Lincoln, compelling the banks to use "Green-backs" as the basis of
all their circulation -- and by the passage of a conscription bill that will bring 3 millions
of men into Abe's Army -- the first measure is a law now, the second has passed the Senate
& will no doubt pass the house before the 4
th
of March puts an end to the existence of a Congress that will long be remembered as the
creature of a tyrant -- There may be enough men to prevent the passage of the bill by
parlamentary tactics, but I doubt it -- I suppose we are called to a day of fasting and prayer
on account of this new force that may soon threaten us with a new invasion -- We are in the
hands of a just God and to him we may safely trust the event -- I heard from Nelson at
Lynchburg and he tells me he bought in Nelson Co, near Howardsville, the corner of Nelson and
Albemarle Co's and intends to go there soon -- I wrote to him to have sundry matters attended
to for you and hope it will be done -- Yesterday was a good day here & I hope a sale of
the farm was made -- I hope Nelly still finds aplenty of
comparisons in Geography -- she must learn to read figures Has Mr. Bear fixed you clock yet -- send him a note again & get it going if you can -- it will be
so much company for you -- Hope Allen is getting some wood ahead. Get the girl of Harriet if
you want her -- I forgot to write to Nelson about her-but we spoke of it at Christmas -- A kiss
for Anna & Nelly -- & May God bless you all
Your Aff.
Jed. Hotchkiss
Until very soon -- I enclose no money in this because the communication is broken but will soon send. The frogs are peeping here today --
