Bertie County NcArchives Military Records.....Ruffin, Thomas 1864
Civilwar - Letters 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Virginia Crilley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000642 November 5, 2014, 4:43 pm

Letter from Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island near Sanducky City, Ohio
August 14th/64

My dear Cousin,
In my last I promised to write again in a few days. When I made that promise I
was confident that I
should have the gatification of conveying to you the intelligence of the
complete restoration of my
health. I am still an invlaid, but a very hopeful one. Yes, I feel very hopeful
and am confident
that I sahll soon be restored to my wanted vigor and health. Do not give
yourself any concern about
the condition of my health. I have been very ill it is true, but my recovery is
now beyond any doubt.
Words are powerless to convey to you how grateful I feel for the kind assurance
of your love and
friendship. Do not imagine for a moment, I beseech you, that I have or can ever
be unmindful of the
deep interest you have ever manifestd in my welfare. I shall ever feel grateful
for your love. It
will ever remain as a green spot in the midst? of memory.

Yes, I prise [prize] it too highly and feel the need of it too often to be
indifferent to its
precious value. You know not how often the remembrance of your dearly remembered
face has been my
monitor.

When tempted to do wrong or about to fall in easy victim to those vices which
have been the
destruction of so many, your praying and the consciousness that nothing base or
evil would meet with
your apporval have ever restrained me.

A man in my opinion must be peculiarly constituted-- indeed there must be
something wrong in his
organization if he does not entertain a decided partiality for his female
cousins. I have had no
letter from Cousin Ann for several months. Why does she not write? Is Willie
still at school? How
much I would like to see her. (corner missing)

Please write often. In my next we ----(corner missing)
falling in love with every pretty (corner missing)
Where is Buck and will not "caus (corner missing)
relent. Poor fellow he certainly (corner missing)
 

 

Additional Comments:
Note: Ltr in possession of Willie Julia Ruffin Hill Hamlin descendants. Believed
to be originally sent to Willie Julia from her cousin, Thomas.  She in turn
mailed it to share with her daughter, Willie Ruffin Hill, who probably was away
at school. We figured this out by comparing the handwriting with a poem that
Willie Julia Ruffin wrote when she was at St. Mary's.

Cousin Ann was daughter of Starkey S. and Sallie Dawson Ruffin, married to John
Ruffin Smallwood.
"Willie still at school" was Willie Julia's daughter, Willie Ruffin Hill.

He was a doctor studying with Thomas J. P. Smallwood. (TJP Smallwood's wife was
Sally Ann Ruffin d/o John Ruffin of Bertie County)

In 1861,Thomas graduated from the University of New York Medical Department
(later called New York Medical University, Bellevue Medical College and NYU
Medical School, now the New York University School of Medicine).

Thomas Ruffin enlisted as a First Lieutenant on 9 August 1862 at Rich Square,
(Halifax County) NC in Captain William Sharp's Company of NC Volunteers (Company
A, 4th Cavalry, which subsequently became Company D, 4th Regiment NC Cavalry,
59th State Troops.)

He was captured at Jack's Mountain, PA 4 July 1863 and held as a Prisoner of War
at Fort Delaware, Delaware and Fort McHenry, Maryland until he was forwarded on
18 July 1863 to Johnson's Island Military Prison, Ottawa County, Ohio. He died
23 September 1864 and was buried the same day in the island cemetery.

We think Thomas was being considered as  Regimental Surgeon of the Confederacy
at the time of his capture. [Although family lore said it was Assistant Surgeon
General of the Confederacy.]

http://www.rumseyauctions.com/auctions/chapter/43/12
Federal regulations required that letters sent to the Confederacy be enclosed in
an "inner" unsealed envelope, properly addressed, and affixed with the
appropriate Confederate postage, although the letter could be sent postage
collect. The "inner" envelope was then placed in an "outer" envelope that was
addressed to the Commanding General at Fortress Monroe, Old Point Comfort,
Virginia, which was the principal Northern "through-the-Iines" exchange point.
Such letters were also required to bear the notation "Flag of Truce". The
"outer" envelope was opened and destroyed at Fortress Monroe, and the "inner"
envelope forwarded on to the South.


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