I called my great-grandmother Angel. Her name was Ruth but my mom started calling her Angel when she was a girl and it stuck. She was born in 1894. When she died, her daughter, my great-aunt, found among her possessions a letter from a Confederate soldier written 30 years before Angel was born. We have no idea why she had this letter. She was raised in an orphanage and her origins are a mystery. Was he her father? Her grandfather? We’ll never know.
It’s Mother’s Day in America. I’m transcribing W. J. Thompson’s letter to his mother here and dedicating it to mothers all over the world whose children are in harm’s way today, but especially to mothers who will never get another letter from their sons or daughters because somebody sent them off to war.
Camp close to Petersburg Va, June the 28th 1864
Dear Mother
I once more seat myself for the purpose of writing you a few lines to let you know I am still well and hearty. I received a letter from you a few dayes ago but failed to answer it until now for the reason that it was no use to write for the Yankees has had the rail roads cut and the mail could not go so I thought it was no use to write until it could go off. I hear this morning that the cars is running again. I was glad to hear you were all well and I hope when this reaches you (if it ever does) it will find you all still enjoying the same great blessing. I received one letter from you I did not answer. I had started one to you the day before I got yours and I had nothing more to write than I had wrote before. I will try and give you a little history of our travels since I wrote to you last. I believe we were near Cold Harbor when I wrote to you last. We left there I think on Monday morning the 18th. The Yankees having left first and was crossing the Chickahominy. We crossed the Chickahominy and had a pretty hard dayes march of it. We marched to near Malvern hill and there we came in contact with the Yankees again. We had a right smart little fight with them but theirs being mostly cavalry they couldn’t stand our infantry. We drove them back two or three miles and then threw up good breast works and waited for them to come on us but they never come. We lay there until Friday evening, we then took up the line of march again for the South side of the James river. We marched until about eleven o clock that night before we stoped. We started early next morning for Petersburg and we had one of the hardest dayes marches we have had since the fight commenced. We were ordered to get there that evening and it was so far and so…
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…is only an occasional gun to be heard this morning. I have not heard from home in some time. The last letter I got from Harriet was dated the 14th. They were all well once more when she wrote. Joe had got able to work a little again. I think she said you had been over in Steel Creek but didn’t get up as far as our house. Harriet said in her letter they had had a great deal of rain and that some peoples wheat was spoiling. I was sorry to hear that for I expect the most of the people will need all they have. I wish we could have some of the rain out here that you could spare. We haven’t had any rain to do any good here in a good while. It rained a little last Monday evening but none to do any good only it has been right cool ever since. The crops here is needing rain very bad at this time. They have as fine looking crops out here as I ever saw that is of corn crops. It is uncertain when you will get this but I reckon if you ever do get it you will know it. The Yankees has the rail roads cut and it is uncertain when the cars will get to runing again but the best I can do is to write and let it go as soon as it will. I reckon it wont be long to they will have the roads fixed up again. Well I think I have wrote enough of nonsense to come to a close. I expect you will be tired reading it before you get through with it. Tell Charlie that I say he must keep his eye skinned and not let the crops get too far ahead of him. I will close for this time. I want you to write again as soon as you get this (if not sooner) and give me all the news. I hope this will find you all well. I send my love to you all and I hope the time is not far distant till I will get home to stay with you all the balance of our days. Nothing more at this time. W. J. Thompson
Pamela, this was a most touching voice from the past. And indeed, while Mothers Day should be a day of celebration, for many the mother-child bond has been severed, making it a day of loss.
Thanks Peter. I’m glad you thought it was touching. Vincent thought it was boring. He’s right, but it’s still touching!
I was fascinated! Nor boring to me at all!!
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