The individual who authored this letter identifies himself as James F. Ward; however, he provides no indication of the specific Confederate regiment to which he belonged. It is my belief that this correspondence was penned by a private of the same name, who served in Company E of the 21st Virginia Cavalry, under the command of Colonel William E. Peters. Following an extensive summer of combat in the Shenandoah Valley, the regiment proceeded to bolster the Army of Northern Virginia near Petersburg, Virginia, in an effort to fortify General Lee’s diminishing supply lines. Moreover, the profiles of other Confederate soldiers bearing that name do not appear to align with the author of this letter.
James wrote the letter to Viola Elizabeth Haney (1840-1932), the daughter of Mathus Haney and Polly Roof of Dayton, Rockingham county, Virginia. Viola had an older brother, John G. Haney, (1836-1929) who served in Co. D of the 10th Virginia Infantry.
[Editor’s Note: any thanks to Abbey Weber Jones for providing the first draft of this transcription. The letter is from the collection of Greg Herr and was published by express consent.]
T R A N S C R I P T I O N
Chaffin’s Farm
Richmond, VA
December the 26th, 1864
Dear Miss,
I seat myself to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope when these few lines come to hand, they may find you well. I hain’t [got] nothing new or strange to write. I received your kind letter and was glad to hear from you. You wrote that you thought that I was writing more for game than for anything else. My dear, you must have but little confidence in me. I don’t want you to think such [a] thing of me. My dear, you say that you don’t think that it was you that I was coming to marry but it was some other girl in Augusta. I don’t know what makes you think so. My dear, I never had anything to say to nary girl in Augusta. I want you to write me the girl’s name and where you got your information. My dear, I wouldn’t give you for all the girls in the [Shenandoah] Valley that I saw.
I hain’t saw any fun this Christmas, tho there’s been the devil’s time here I ever saw in my life. I wouldn’t know when it came, but I knew the day and the month. I’d love to [have] been there—to [have] been at that wedding. I suppose that you all saw a heap of fun there. I am glad to think that there was somebody a having some fun.
There has been a mighty dull time ever since I came here. I have often wished that I was back in the Valley. I think that if I was there, I could see some fun with you yet. But as you write you have lost all confidence of me, I want you to write me your mind and if you think nothing of me—say so, and I will write no more for it isn’t worth my while to be writing to you for no gain. So write your mind, for I never know what to write you. Write every time you think that I am trying to make game at you. But I don’t want you to think any such thing.
I will claim Christmas gift of you but it is most to lost. I think that this war will soon end for they have got so nigh run out of provisions, they can’t give the soldiers no meat. I hain’t had any meat in about 10 days. The Yankees has taken Savannah, Georgia, and most everywhere else that they want to. The general opinion of the people is that they are going to give up Richmond for the Yankees has got the place nearly surrounded. I don’t think that can last much longer. I think they will come to some compromise some way before spring.
I want you to write as soon as you get his letter and let me hear all the news that you can hear. I must close for this time. Very true love till death. From James F. Ward
To Miss Violey [Viola] Haney
Spared & Shared 23 