Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Sara A. Hotchkiss, April
13, 1863
Summary:
Hotchkiss requests food items from his wife, comments on affairs at home, including illness,
and discusses a potential purchase of property.
Sara A. Hotchkiss
Monday April 13th 1863
Hd. Qrs. 2 nd Corps A. N. V.
My Ever Dear One:
I did not write to you today for I intend to send William up tomorrow to take my trunk
&c to the rear and so I shall write a few lines by him, for I am too tired to write
much, as I have been overhauling baggage today & fixing up -- An order has been issued
that no one shall be allowed to carry a trunk and that all unnecessary baggage shall be sent
away at once & in accordance with that order Boswell took his trunk to Richmond today
& I send mine home tomorrow. I have put in sundry traps, which you can dispose of at
home. I filled the bottles with what molasses I had here, am sorry I had not more. I also send
you some black eyed peas; plant them like corn -- You can send me back a jar of pickles if you
have them to spare -- I do not want you to deprive yourself to furnish me. We have peaches and
apples enough for the present. I am out of butter but can do very well -- if you can get my
pants mended you may send them back -- William will find a box to put the things in and fix it
up my eggs, brought well before but I had a good place for them -- I do not know if you can
send me any or not -- You know what you can spare or get & that send. I am sorry I
cannot let William stay up for some time, but we have 4 horses and no one but him to see to
them if we should move, as Boswell has not yet found a servant, so I can only let William stay
long enough to get my trunk home & the box back -- if Nelson has gone I hope he can get
some one to bring the box to Staunton -- he will attend to it, you can tell him what to do --
If Boswell's man comes I shall send him home to help work garden &c I hope Allen will
do all he possibly can -- I am fearful you will try to get
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too much done, more than
you can & injure your health thereby -- I am very sorry the chimney took fire &
alarmed you so much -- It will be best to get some one to fix it and not run such risks -- I
got your letter of Friday today. If the floors appear to be yielding much you had better either
have a prop put under the chimney or have them take it down -- I wish I could come &
fix them, but I cannot get away now You may get Mr. McGinty to fix them & I think they
had better be fixed at once. It is much to be regretted that you all have such coughs, we have
escaped wonderfully, living as we do out of doors -- I am fully convinced that we all keep our
houses too warm -- I am obliged to Miss Alice for her book, but do not want it now --have had
no time to read as yet and send back nearly all the books I have. It is work, work, all of the
time here. I am glad you got so many seeds & hope you will succeed with them -- Mrs.
Harman writes to him that she is doing a big business gardening too -- It is quite spring like
here now -- I am delighted to hear you speak so cheerfully of what you are doing -- it is so
noble and heroic to do and bear in times like these. I always knew you could rise superior to
circumstances, but you surpass my expectations. I hope you may get your cotton, and hope too I
may get a chance to buy you many things -- there is no telling where the fortune of war may
lead us -- I heard from Mr. Lindsey today , he asks $3000, down, or $3500 in payments 1/3 down
& 2 yrs for the balance -- I have not thought much about it
yet, but do not wish to buy where you do not like. What will Mr. Glossbrenner like for his? I
will refuse to take Lindsey's of course, as you do not like it. I intend to get out of debt
this year, if possible. It will require all the place brought to pay the debts there and the
property is still holden for them and cannot escape the payment -- . I
intend to wind it all up finally, this spring -- and end it forever.
I know what there is and I have lists and intend to see that everything is paid and properly
accounted for -- out of debt I will be -- and if my life is spared will soon be a free man -- I
will write more tomorrow if I can - - you will write to me if you got the $20. &c I love you more than ever for the spirit of contentment you
show under the crushing trials of the hour May God help you & bless you all with his
richest blessings --
Your loving husband
Jed. Hotchkiss
