The following letter was written by Henry Hess Hartman (1844-1931), the son of David & Mary (Miller) Hartman of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. In 1860 he was a laborer living with his family in Lancaster. He enlisted in Lancaster on July 13, 1864, and mustered into federal service at Harrisburg July 17 as a private with Co. C in the 100-day organization of the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry. He re-enlisted and mustered into federal service in the field at Monocacy Junction, Frederick County, Maryland, September 4, 1864, as a private with Co. B in the one-year organization of the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company June 28, 1865. By 1900, he was living in Philipsburg, Centre County, but on September 25, 1908, entered the soldiers’ home at Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. There he stayed until March 21, 1911, when he transferred to the facility at Johnson City, Tennessee. On September 19, 1927, he transferred to the home in Hampton, Virginia, where he remained until his death from “atherosclerosis.”

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Camp near Winchester, Virginia
April 6, 1865

Dear Sister Mary,

Your two last have been received and not answered on account [of] me not having time. We have had pretty hard marching although we have had very good news. I do not think that we will have much rest for some time. If you are going to school, I wish you would write me a good letter upon what is going on as I am very anxious to hear from that quarter. We thought that we were going to Lynchburg but I suppose that we will not as Lee does not appear to be retreating in that direction.

I wrote to sister Annie before we left Charlestown and if you are at school, send this letter home or give word that I am well and getting along better than they or I could expect. Charley Boring was with us at Charestown but had to go to the hospital. He had a very sore foot and could not go with although he would have liked to do so very much. He left the hospital too soon before but he is very anxious to be with us and nothing could keep him back.

I am writing on a newspaper placed upon my knee. It will not be very easy to read this letter. The country around here looks very desolating—no fences of any account can be seen for a great distance. We have a pretty large army here—about 50,000, I suppose. The weather is very disagreeable, rain and mud in abundance.

I have heard Dave has enlisted. He is not with us yet. I think it will be pretty hard for him. I would rather not have heard of his enlistment. Col. Foster is our Brigade commander and Gen. Egan our Division commander.

Let me know where brother Sam is. I would like to know whether he is with Sherman or not. The report here is that Lee is retreating toward Sherman. If this is so, he will have a pretty hard fight. It is also reported that Gen. Sheridan is killed. Give my respects to all friends at the Normal [school], Direct to Co. B, 195th Regt. Pennsylvania Vol., Washington D. C.

Your affectionate brother, — Harry