Letters home from William A. Rudd, Leon County, Florida Civil War soldier File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cathy Burnsed, cburnsed@geocities.com USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. This file may not be removed from this server or altered in any way for placement on another server without the consent of the State and USGenWeb Project coordinators and the contributor. *********************************************************************** In the following letters, the soldier, William Rudd, writes of his health after the battle in Manassas, his apprehension about upcoming fighting in Richmond, his miserable Christmas in 1863 near Fredericksburg, Va., his capture in the Battle of Gettysburg, and his impending death at Fort Delaware. His handwriting is legible at the beginning of the series, where he's trying to be chipper with his wife back home, but by the end you can tell he's just trying to hold on long enough to get a goodbye note from her and the kids. In this grouping we also have a letter from Camp Maxwell from Thomas Stewart to his mother, E. Stewart. There's also a letter from a friend in Baltimore, Ande Howard, to William Rudd, encouraging him that he should be going home soon. NOTE: The contributor does not own or have access to these letters, nor is she related to the Rudd family. (LETTER 1) ...Winchester, Va. Sept. 27, 1862 ... Dear loving affectionate wife I will through the help of God once more drop you a few lines which inform you that I am well at present but have been in good health. I have nothing good to state to you. There is nothing here but fighting and the hardest times I ever saw. We are marched nearly to death and on the brink of starvation. Our force is and has been in Maryland adoing some of the bad fighting. Our men taken 1,700,050 prisoners. I never have seen hard times before and I would give the whole world nearly to be at home. They say that the 5th or 8th Fla. Regt is -- back, and I hope it is so. I hear that the Yankees is in possession of Tallahassee. Also, I have not seen my Co nor Regt in 4 weeks. My company went into the fight in Maryland with 52 men and came out with five. We have had a front here recently. All that I crave in the world is just to be at home and tell you of the times and hardship that I have seen. I am with Levi and Samuel Senterfitt and this is the 2nd letter that I have wrote to you. It was the awfullest times at the Manassas fight that I ever saw, but by good luck I came through safe. The battlefield was covered with dead men and horses. I hear that the war has stop for ninety days. All you can do for me is to pray for me. Excuse me and write soon. I remain your true husband forever. ...Wm. A. Rudd *************** (LETTER 2) Richmond, Va. June the 10th, 1863 ... Dear wife, It is with fear that I now seat my self to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am yet in the land of living. I have a rite smart of news to write but I don't feel able to write. I have been living in line of battle for 6 days and I am not well. I have got too little on me. I haven't had my shoes off in 6 days and nights. I do not know whether we will fight here or not for the Yankees are crossing the river now but I can't tell whether we will fight here or not for the Yankees is coming. The -- know but I can't tell whether we will fight or not myself but I am in hopes we will not. There was very heavy cannon fire yesterday evening but nobody hurt. They say they will fire into the Yankees again this evening again but I am in hopes they will all leave here and have no more fighting here. But I can't tell you what they will do for -- is not to know everything about till we get into it. I would like to see you and very well indeed but it is a slim chance for already this evening to get through this war we fight them again but I am in hopes that I will go through safe yet. I was very sorry to hear that --having again of course in here Rose I want you to try to get it out so I will come to a close. So nothing more, only I remain your loving husband. Tell Betty write soon. ... W.A. Rudd ************* (LETTER 3) Camp near Fredericksburg Spotsylvania Co... Va. Jany 2nd, 1863 ....Dear wife, Your kind and affectionate letter under date December 23rd came to hand yesterday, and as you request an early answer I will write to you today. I was very glad to hear from home and especially so to learn that you and the dear little ones were well. Hope you may long continue to enjoy health and happiness. This leaves me quite well. I have no news of much interest to write about. Everything is quiet with us at this time -- been nothing doing since the fight up here, but as I am reckoning you have heard all the particulars of the fight, it will be useless for me to write anything about it. It is hard to tell whether there will be any more fighting about here or not after the severe whipping that the Yankees got here, it seems to me they ought to be satisfied for the present. But there is no telling what they intend to do. Should they think -- to show fight again I think they will find us ready to meet them and I hope we may be able to give them such a whipping as to sicken them of war. Well, my dear, Christmas has come and gone but with us how changed. It brought none of those pleasures and enjoyments that it did a few years ago -- then we were at home with the dear loved ones, enjoying the society of those that are near and dear to us. But this Christmas finds us encamped out here in the wild old woods, away from all that makes life worth living. But we will not pine and grieve about what we can't help, but console ourselves with the hope that there is a better day coming, and that we will meet again, never again to be separated by the cruel and -- hand of war. There is some talk of our getting a furlough soon. If they grant any, I will get one and come home if I possibly can, but you need not look for me until you hear from me again. You did not say in your letter what you had named the baby or how old it was. Let me know in your next when it was born and what you have named it. We have received a portion of our money and will get the balance soon. I have enclosed to send you five dollars, and if that reaches you safely I will send more in my next letter. I have nothing more to write at this time, so I will bring the letter to a close. Write to me as soon as you get this and write all the news you can. I must now bid you goodbye. Kiss the little ones for me. I remain, as ever, your devoted husband. ... William A. Rudd *************** (LETTER 4) Fort Delaware Oct. 27, 1864 .... Dear wife, I seat myself this morning to write you a few lines to let you know that I am in very good health at present and hope those few lines to reach safe and find you and the family all well. You must pardon me for not writing to you before now as I have a very sorry chance of doing so. I have been in prison going on 16 months. I was captured in the Battle of Gettysburg. I have been in splendid health most of the time I have been here. I am getting tired of being in prison. I hope to meet you at home before long. You must write to me soon as you get this. Direct your letter to me, Prisoner of War at Fort Delaware, for flag of truce. So nothing more at present. I remain your affectionate husband till death. ... William A. Rudd **************** (LETTER 5) Fort Delaware Jan. the 22, 1865 .... Dear wife, I received your letter of the 24th and it gives me great joy to hear that you were well. This leaves me well. I would be a happy man if I could see and be with you again, but I don't know when that time will be, but we will put our trust in God and pray for the time to come. Louisa, I had rather see you than anyone else in the world. I want you to write me something about Henry and sister Charlotte and Thom and mother and all my darling little children. If you carry here the pleasure of reading this letter, you will read one of my own hand. Write. When you write, don't forget to put my Co and Regt on my letter. I must come to a close by saying you must write soon. This from Wm. A. Rudd to his love, Louisa Camp Maxwell *************** (LETTER 6) March the 13 1863 ..... Dear mother, This being Sunday morning I will answer your letter which I received the 7 of this month. I have not any news to write the present time. I am as well as I was when I left home. I have had a very bad cold and headache. My cold is getting better and so is my headache. I have written a letter to Louisa but I don't know she has got it or not. I don't know whether I want anything from home or not. I am so far off from the railroad that I could not get it if you was to send any. I want to try to get to come home before long and get some clothes and bring that saddle and some money and a gun and see you all. So I will close. Write soon, direct to the same place the reason(?). ... Thomas F. Stewart to Z. Stewart Baltimore 220 S. Charles St. ************* (LETTER 7) March 4th.... W. A. Rudd My dear friend, I got home last night and found your letter awaiting me. I do not know what to send you by mail. I would like to send you a Bible but think you have one and in case you should be exchanged before I have time to write, I send you in this a little book to put in your pocket. A great many prisoners are passing through daily, but I believe the Lt. let ones go another way. I -- through here at all. Be sure and let me know when the happy moment comes for you. I hope it may be soon. (Who) made you a (?) for a keepsake as she is very much interested in that branch of her education. Truly and sincerely your friend, Ande Howard