The following poignant letter was written by John Howard Black (1846-1864), the son of Gabriel Fitzgerald Black, Sr. (1806-1879) and Susan Howard (1818-1874) of Yadkin county, North Carolina. John served in the Confederate army as a member of Co. D, 62nd Georgia Cavalry which was transferred to the 8th Georgia Cavalry at about the time this letter was penciled. John’s letter describes the death and burial of his older brother, 19 year-old Marmaduke (“Duke”) William Black (1844-1864) who served in the same company.

In less than three months, John also died of disease in a Richmond Hospital on 6 October 1864.

Transcription

July 14, 1864

Dear Father and Mother, Brothers and Sisters,

I take my pen in hand to let you know I have not forgot you yet. I have wrote to you twice since Duke died. I am very sorry too we had to part with him but we can’t help it. He was attended as well as if he had been at home. I was with him all the time. He was 1 mile of Dinwiddie Court House at John H. Young’s. He died the 9th. I could not get no [char]coal ¹ to fix him to fetch home. I had him buried in a single coffin and had a head board put to his head. He is buried in one mile of Dinwiddie Court House and in 15 miles of Petersburg. He [died] very easy. He was a very pretty corpse. I have had a hard time but I hope times will be better. I think it won’t be long before we can come home. I trust to God it won’t.

He was sick about two weeks. I don’t think we ought to grieve for him for I think he is in a better world than this. He said he was willing to die if he could see you all one time more but he said he knowed he never should. He was sensible of his death. About a week before he died, he said he wanted me to bring him home if I could. I could not—no furlough. I had him buried as well as I could. I want you to come and get him. I would like to hear from you. I would like to see you all and hope I will soon. I think this cruel war will close soon. So I must close, Write soon. Direct to Petersburg, Va. in care of Captain [Thomas Rhodes] Duval, Co. D, 62nd Georgia [Cavalry]

So I remain your loving son until death, — John

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¹ Charcoal and alcohol were occasionally used to forestall decay, particularly in the heat of the summer when ice was not available.