Tag Archives: Surrender

Letter – Daniel Dodge, 14 April 1865

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Letter written by Private Daniel C. Dodge of Company D, 26th MI Infantry, near City Point, VA. Dodge is writing from the hospital, and feels fine though he hates to see his fellow soldiers with amputated limbs. Dodge believes the war is nearly finished, as Robert E. Lee has surrendered. He hopes to return home soon, as he does not wish to remain in the hospital nor return to war. Dodge describes the fine weather conditions, and how the cheerful land is marred by the graves of thousands of soldiers. He also writes of a speech made by Lincoln in which the President asked God to bless the living soldiers.

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Vir.[ginia] April the 4 1865

Sitty Point Well how Do you all Do this fine after noon I hope you air all Well as for me I am fealing first rate to Day though I hate to Se So many of our Boys with their hands and legs cut of But it looks as though it was Pla[y]ed out for old Lee has Sir rendered his hole amry he was not so mutch of a Copperhead Be what he would give up when he was used up So he Could fight no longer So I think the war will Stop Soon I think I Shal Be home Bfore the 4 of July But how mutch

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Soon ner I Cant tel And the Soon ner the Better But I may have to Stay longer than I think But five mont[h]s will Soon

Pas a way I think I Shal not Stay hear mutch longer for I Dont like it mutch hear But I Dont know But I Shal have to go to my regt to get a way from hear I Dont

mean to go to work hear if I can help it for if I Do I Shal have to Stay hear But it is Pleasant hear to Day I went out this morning Before sun rise

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and looked around and I could se the cherry trees in Blossom this looked cheaful But look in an other Direction and you can se the graves of four teen thousand of our Boys laid lo By the Cirsed Rebs and Copperheads But they to have Ben heaped in Piles to Be rememBered as infamos Devels that air not fit to liv or to Dy and they will Be rememBerD with Contempt while

time inDures and all [???] uphold them god Bless the wounded SolDierS and the union old abe came and staed through the hole fight I saw him going

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in to the field after they had taken Petersburg he made a speach to the Boys But he Could not Bring to life the noBle Boys that fel on the field But he cold [called] on god to Bless the liveing

April the 4

well I will stop and send my love to all the friend hopeing to se you all agane Before long it seams a g[r]ate while since I have herd from home and i cant tel you whare to Direct yet may Be I can when I right agane good By for this time Daniel Dodge

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Dont fret a Bout the Bruss [Bruise?] for I am all right

Daniel C. Dodge was from Pine River, MI. He enlisted at age 18 on August 2, 1862 as a private in Company D of the 26th MI Infantry. He mustered in September 15, 1862 for a 3 year term. Dodge was wounded on April 7 at Farmville, VA leading to his discharge in Philadelphia, PA on June 24, 1865. Dodge was not well educated, his spelling mostly phonetic. Though he dates this letter to April 4, 1865 he most likely means the 14th, considering he references Lee’s surrender on April 12.

Letter – Isaac Miller, 2 December 1864

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Letter written by Private Isaac Miller of Company E, 93rd Ohio volunteer Infantry, to his brother, from Nashville, TN. Miller is expecting a fight, as the Confederate troops are forming their lines. He writes that his regiment guarded the train to Nashville, and that they just missed the fighting at Franklin. He heard an account from a member of the 175th Ohio Volunteer Infantry about how the Confederates were unable to get over the Union’s abatis. Though they attempted to surrender, the 175th continued to fire. Miller says he doesn’t know how long his regiment will stay in place, as it likely depends on whether or not General John B. Hood charges. Miller mentions that he ate Thanksgiving dinner in a graveyard in Columbia.

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Nashville, Tenn. December 2/64

Dear Brother

     I sit down this afternoon to let you know how I am and what we are doing. Well, the troops are marching around getting into position. I guess we have got even. The Rebels are forming their lines in front of us, and I guess we will have a fight. We had a pretty tough time retreating from Pulaski, but our division did not get in any fight – that is our brigade. I don’t know whether any of the other two brigades done any fighting at Franklin.

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Our regiment was detailed to guard the train to this place. I guess you will hear of the great fight at Franklin before you get this. We were just leaving as it commenced. I saw about 1,000 of the Johnnies that our men took, and they say that they just piled them up in front of the works. I was talking with one of the 175 OVI [Ohio Volunteer Infantry] boys. They was in the fight. They had what they call [abatis] in front of the works – that is, brush and sharp pointed stakes, so that a man can’t hardly get through them at all. The Rebels charged up to them and could not get over, and they hollered to the boys

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to cease firing – they would surrender. But they were a new regiment and the first fight they had been in, so they just kept firing away at them, and would not let them surrender. So much the better. All they kill, we won’t have to fight or feed anymore. I received your letter of the 25[th] and the shirt and socks also, and am very much pleased with them, and your letter. Believe I needed it, for I only had one old one left. I don’t want anything else that I know of. I will buy me a pair of boots in this place. I can get them as cheap as you can send them, but send me the other shirt.

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I have no money but can borrow all I want of the boys. I can’t tell how long we will stay here. If Hood tries to take this place we will stay some time, but if he breaks off to some other place, we will have to follow him. I think if he charges these works like he did at Franklin, he won’t have many men to go with him. The troops are just wishing he would try to take this place, but I hardly think he will.             

I am tickled at the joke played on Aaron and cousin John. I would like to see the picture. I guess you have got the photographs I sent you. I took dinner in a graveyard at Columbia on Thanksgiving Day, after marching all night and till nearly noon, and we formed our lines and regiment came right [remainder of letter missing]

Isaac Miller, enlisted on August 5, 1862, aged 20, as a private in Co. E, 93rd Ohio Vol. Infantry. He was mustered out of the army June 8, 1865 at Nashville, Tenn.