The following letters were written by Edwin Ruthbon Brush (1836-1908) who was drafted into the service on 17 July 1863 as a private in Co. H, 2nd Vermont Infantry and three months later was promoted to Assistant Surgeon of the regiment.
Brush graduated from the University of Vermont at Burlington in 1858 and took over the medical practice of his father, Dr. Salmon Brush (1804-1887) in Cambridge, Lamoille county, Vermont. Edwin wrote the letter to his wife, Amy R. Brush (1836-1915).
Edwin was with the regiment from the time they fought at Rappahannock Station in November 1863 through the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in April 1865. In the second letter, he describes the mood of the army following the assassination of President Lincoln and shares portions of conversations he’s had with rebel soldiers going home following Lee’s surrender.
Letter 1
Near Petersburg, Virginia
March 4th 1865
Dear Amy,
Today I received yours of the 26th. I am on picket today. I have to go on only once in about four weeks. There are two very important things transpiring today. One is the inauguration of Old Abe [but] however important that event may be to the country, there is another that is full as important to the members of the regiment individually and that is that we are receiving four months pay. And for one, I can say that it comes in time of need.
News is very scarce here just at present. The rebels are not deserting quite as fast as they were a few days ago. It is said that there are a different set of men doing picket duty in our front from what there were a few days ago. It is either that or else the rebels are more particular about the men they send on picket. I am still doing duty at the 6th Regiment. How long I shall have to remain there, I do not know. I am glad that you had so good a visit with Lieut. Buck.
About my horse not carrying double, it is true. He did not propose to carry anything that was secesh and I do not blame him much either, do you? But that time I went two or three miles beyond our picket lines to dress a wounded rebel.
I have just been paid off and shall send a check for a hundred and fifty dollars which I hope will be acceptable to you. I hope you have not suffered for the want of it. I should liked to have sent more but I had to borrow some money to live on and shall have that to pay. I have two months pay now due me but we shall not get that now.
It has been very stormy here for the last week, it having rained almost every day. So I do not think we shall have to move just yet. My health continues good yet, and I hope yours is good also.
I have not heard from Mortimer since I left the Valley. I do not know why he does not write as I wrote him very soon after we got here. I should think he would answer it but perhaps he did not receive it. Give my regards to all enquiring friends. Yours affectionately, — Edwin R. Brush, Asst. Surgeon, 2d Vermont Vols. Washington D. C.
P. S. Please let me know as soon as you receive the check. — E. R. B.
Letter 2
[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Greg Herr and was transcribed and published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]
Burkville, Virginia
April 19th 1865
Dear Amy,
I was in hopes to get a letter from you tonight but have just learned that we are to have none tonight. Our mail is quite irregular at present but are in hopes soon to be where it will be more regular and perhaps we shall not be so anxious about it.
The army is feeling very sad and gloomy in consequence of President Lincoln’s death. We feel that we have lost a father and a friend and the country its head. The indignation of the men is great and general. The sadness is general throughout the whole army. Woe to his assassin if he should fall into the hands of our soldiers.
We are expecting to leave here before many days but where we are going is not yet known but most likely it will be to Petersburg or Richmond where we shall be likely to remain until we are mustered out of the service which I hope will not be many months. The rebel soldiers are very glad to get home. I saw one that had been in the army a year that has just got home from Lynchburg. He came before our troops had entered the city. I asked him if they gave him leave to come and he said he did not ask them whether he might come or not but he said they [did] not molest him. I have talked with a great many of them and they all say that they have had fighting enough and are glad of the opportunity of getting home.
“He [Lee] had about thirty thousand men with him when he surrendered and there were only ten thousand of them that were armed.”
Edwin R. Brush, Asst. Surgeon, 2nd Vermont Infantry
Gen. Lee could not keep his army together on the march through the country. He had a great many Virginia troops and many of them went home. What troops he had when he surrendered were mostly without arms. He had about thirty thousand men with him when he surrendered and there were only ten thousand of them that were armed. There were probably many that did not have arms when they left Richmond and Petersburg such as hospital attendants, teamsters, and &c. But taking those out and there must have been many that threw their arms away.
We have been amusing ourselves today in reading Jeff Davis’s last message written at Danville. I think his next will be of a different tune. I have been to the station today to look at some of the captured artillery. I do not know just how many pieces there were there today but yesterday there were one hundred and one and there were more to come. They are sending them North as fast as possible and I hope they will be sent so far that the South will never see them.
I am as well as usual. Affectionately, your husband, — Ed Brush, Asst. Surgeon, 2nd Vermont Vols.
You may tell George that Mr. Taylor was with us until just before we left Petersburg when the sutlers were ordered out of the army and I have not seen or heard of him since.
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