Union Mills, Virginia April 12, 1863

Dear Parents,

As this is the last opportunity that I may have for addressing you from this post, I propose to embrace the present chance. We have orders to march tomorrow morning at 9:30 and the cooks etc. have orders to take seven days' rations along with them. We have not the least idea where we are going to. Well, so be it; we bargained for travel when we bargained to come, and might as well be somewhere else as here. The Quartermaster has just said that we were to go on the cars, so it does not seem that we are going down on the Rappahannock. Some of the boys are going to send off the extra baggage, and they are getting boards from the Qrt. Master to make the boxes for that purpose.

We have been having several days of splendid weather, and the ground is just as hard as a rock. I think I shad send home a few little things which, though they are not very valuable, will yet pay the expense of transportation.

It will be rather hard for those that are on picket to start out on their travels in the morning, but still tougher things have been, and may be again. I got your "mixture" as you call it in due time, and made it all out in due time, and of course if anyone cares enough about me to write, why I am glad to receive it. I am well tough and hearty, and never was so heavy in my life. I weighed 176 pounds on the Patent office scales in Washington a few days ago. By the way, I believe I have not told you about our trip to Washington.

The way it happened was this: The Captain had got a pass for a man to go to Washington to make purchases, and something happened that he did not want to go. So the Captain gave me the pass, and let me have a chance to see the elephant. I didn't have time to get a good look at the entire 'critter', but I saw as much of him as conveniently could during the time I was there. I left Union Mills about 3 o'clock, and got to Washington sometime before dark. I could not visit any of the public buildings that night, as they were all closed except the Post Office: that I saw, and it was quite worth the while to see its workings. In the morning I tramped over the city as much as I could, and saw all I could before the Patent Office was opened, then I went through that, seeing all sorts of machines, both useful and curious, together with many of the personal effects of G. Washington, the coat that Gen'l Jackson wore at the Battle of New Orleans, the presents that the Japanese brought over to President Buchanan etc. etc., from there I hurried to the Smithsonian Institute and spent the remainder of my time there, and might have employed a great deal more time if I had had it. To undertake to describe the collection there would be simply impossible, so I will let it pass without saying anything further about it than that it rather beats Isaac Pollard's. I left Washington at 1 p.m. and went home minus about $2.50. Still, I rather think the trip paid.

Poor Ezra Weston! His troubles are ended at last, and his sorrows past. You must have heard that he was dead, and it seems a great pity that it should be so, when he might just as well have been alive and gaining in health and strength, had it not been for Ass't Surgeon George Spafford, who so mercilessly forced the sick from their comfortable quarters at Fairfax Station where they might just as well have stayed until he could get a comfortable place for them, down here. That settled Ezra, but he is dead and gone now, and there is no use accusing anybody of murder. I believe the health of the rest of the Plymouth boys is as good as usual. I have been writing for the captain for a day or two, so that I have not had a very hard time.

So you have been down to visit Aunt Maria. Well, how is she getting along and how are Uncle Joe's things managed? Uncle Joe seems to think that his man does not mean to do the fair thing by Aunt or by his things. Tell the doctor that I was very glad to get a letter from him, and will answer it to the best of my ability as soon as we get settled again. Yes, we took our tents and all our duds, stoves, fireplaces, and all along last time, but we may not this time. I suppose Aunt Maria will feel better if she has got her farm paid for, as they never liked very much to be in debt, but you see this sheet is almost full, and I must haul this disjointed epistle to a close. H.G. Day

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Contributed by Linda M. Welch, Dartmouth College, Windsor County researcher.

Return to the Index of Hezron's letters..

See also Hezron's biography, and his memoir of the Gettysburg Campaign.