Augusta County: Jesse Rolston, Jr., to Mary Rolston, April 3,
1863
Summary:
Rolston comments on the punishments for soldiers who "flank" fights, and about the loss of a
member of their company. He also gives advice to his wife who is managing their farm in his
absence.
April 3-1863
Camp Hamilton Crossing
Spotsylvania County Va
Dear Companion
I seat my self this morning to inform you how i am and how i have
bin since my last letter. I have had a bad coald for the past weak but i have had a good appetite to eat
all the time. I am well at preasent and hoaping that when you receive this that it will find you injoying good health and in good spirits and hoap all of our
family friends and neighbours may be injoying the same blessing. I received your letter that you sent by Capt. A Airhart in the first of April. J just came off of picket that
day and we injoyed
our selves very well considering such a spell of weather as we
had. we was gone three days. the first day it rained very hard all day. the second day it was
coald and the wind blew very hard and coald
all day. the third day but quite pleasant until eavening after we
got in camp. it clouded up and the next morning it was a snowing. it fell about 2 or 3 inches
but it soon melted after it quit snowing and maid a slop. it has been
quite moderate since. the man that was send to richmond that you spoke of had went home three
times and he would when [illeg.]
[page 2]
camp in times of a fight would run off
til it was over. it is harder on them that flank a fight than them
that dont. they have bin hard on some of the
others too. there is Jacob and David Shull and John and Richard Michael sent to richmond April
1st for six months hard labor and 6 months pay. that was their sentence. Wm. Shull hasnt had his trial yet-April 5th. I am well and
hearty but it pained me when i read in your kind letter the death of your brother. it makes of
[illeg.] in which a man hasa but a few days and full of troubel. god giveth and then taketh away. blessed is the name of the
Lord. We have lost another one of our company. Absolom Michael yesterday morning at 7 oclock departed this life to a world whare
their is no more parting. he wasn't sick but about 2 weeks. he had the
tifoid fever. he was abel to walk about
some until the eavening before he died. life is uncertain in the
army as well as at home. i dont know but what he is better off now
than if he had a lived to heard his trial for his case would be bin
hard the way they punishe the others. i dont think well stay heare many more
days until we move it [illeg.] report in camp now that we are to go out back in the
mountains west of Stanton but i dont
no
whare we will go for they take take us whare
they please. they
yankeys appear to be quiet and they say they don't want to fite if they can help. they say their is a great
many of them will go home the first of May or rebell against oald Abe. if they do that the war cant last much
longer. from what i can heare and see i dont
think [letter torn away here]...if you think you can manage any more corn [illeg.] the
bottom feald as you wont have oats enough to
sew. the field of cornstubels on the
hill could plant some in their and if you dont plant their sow the best of the ground in oats as far as
it will go and let the remainder be until [illeg.] put more on your self than you can
manage. it is not worth while to expose your
self to put out a crop if you dont get any out of it. you can
keep the stock off the new ground field and the orchard. it will make as much hay as well. keep
the stock if the season suits and what luck do you have with your help?
So no more at preasant but remain yours
from Jesse Rolston
rite and [letter gone] Mary Catherine Rolston
