Ransom W. Towle to Parents and Friends
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Poverty has prevented my writing sooner for I have not had a red[cent] for six weeks and no writing materials Yesterday I made
out to borrow 15 cts with which I bought 3 sheets of paper one of which I
swapped for an envelope. We have not been paid for four months which makes us
pretty short as we have usually been paid once in two and calculated
accordingly. Consequently money is very scarce. Prices
are very high Flour $15 per bbl. Coffee $1 tea $3 to $4 Bacon $0.50 Cheese $0.50
Butter $0.75 and other things in proportion. The Rebels kill and drive of all
the Cattle Sheep and hogs belonging to Planters along their route so that things
look rather desolate as we pass along on the track of the flying
Enemy Our army do nothing in the way of desolating the Country compared with
theirs. We are strictly forbidden under the severest penalties from touching any
kind of property even to a rail to make fire to heat a cup of Coffee Every house
we pass there is a Guard Stationed to prevent depredations. We camped by the
side of one old fellows house that Rebellion stuck right out of him. He even
refused to let his Niggers sell hoe cake to the Soldiers yet his property was
most scrupulously Guarded by our men. We Camped four Days on the old Custis
Plantation fifteen miles from here where Geo. Washington did his Sparking and married. The same house is yet standing since we left
Yorktown we have passed by some splendid Plantations and very []
Dwellings Some wheatfields of one to three hundred acres knee high or higher
some Clover fields just bowing out look splendidly Corn is not quite so forward
- is a little bigger than at first hoeing in Vt. the weather is as hot as the
hottest of July in Vt. And it takes hold of the men pretty hard Our Co. has now
17 sick Som Companies have more than that We are near Neighbors to Rebel
Pickets. Some think we are to have a big fight here but I think the Rascals will
leave if we only give them a chance but if we do have a fight we shall have a
big one. The Niggers dont seem to be afraid of the dambed
Yankees half so much as their Masters. They line the fences as we go
along chattering and grinning
They talk freely and apparently tell
all they know without hesitation They look fat and happy most of them are left
on the Plantation pretty much to themselves their Masters flying with the
retreating Army The retreat from Yorktown seems to have been a thing entirely
unlooked for from the evident haste in which they left. All sorts of rumors are
about with regard to the Vt Brigade being Discharged Some say Preparations are
now being made at Burlington for Mustering us out how is it Write as soon as you
get this and let me know
Give my regards to all who enquire.
Ever the same, Ransom