Dear Wife
I take this present opportunity of writing a few lines to inform you that I am well & still in the land of the living by the Blessing of a Merciful God & hope this may find you the same. I have been expecting a letter from you for sometime but it appears that I have been disappointed so far. Well we are still moving onward to Richmond slowly but surely, as far as I can judge, we are now about twenty miles from it. The advance of the army is much nearer. They crossed the South Anna on the 23rd.
Yesterday they were fighting at Hanover Court House. You can see by the map where that is. Our Brigade is now in the Rear of the army. We have charge of the trains, we have not been in very great danger since Saturday, that is not where the bullets whistled over our heads as for being in danger. That is every place we have been in the last 3 weeks. Yesterday there was very heavy fighting all day, & day before, yesterday there was an awful slaughter of Rebels. They say that they were cut down in heaps & our men captured Seven Hundred. Yesterday I saw about one Thousand brought in. They are nearly played out, I think our losses have been very heavy but theirs much more, & they have taken but few prisoners & we have taken a good many thousand at least Twenty. I myself have saw eight Thousand.
I saw Daniel on Sunday. He was well but very tired, they have not had very much fighting yet but they will get there share of it too, yet if they would do us justice, they would let us rest awhile, but I suppose they will have to use us again. Just as I am writing, I can hear the cannons Booming in the distance. Oh if it was only God’s will that this Cruel & Dreadful war was over. We have had plenty to eat so far yet, but we are getting as Ragged as Rag Men. We have lost all our clothes & everything but what we have on, & those that are so fortunate as to get out safe, will have to draw new clothes all around. I will willingly draw them if God Spares my Life. But I do think the hardest fighting is over. I have had several glimpses of General Grant, he is a very common man & so is General Meade. They are always about. I suppose there is as much excitement at home as there is here but they ought to be here if they want to see war in its terrible Reality. We see but few citizens & they are very poor. The Rebel Soldiers are pretty well clothed but they are very tired of the war. They say the Yankees fight harder this spring tho. Our men are in very good health considering the hardships they have passed through, but we are all tired of this continued fighting. We often get Bad news here as well as at home, & a great many lies too. If I was with you I could tell you about the last three weeks work, more than I could tell you in a week. I hope & pray God will spare my life & return me safe to you in due time. I want you to write to me often & send me some paper & envelopes, for we cannot get any here, & you can see that this is hard paper. I think I will close now hoping to hear from you soon, & May God in His Mercy & Goodness, protect & Bless Both of us & keep us is my Daily Prayer. Tell Charlie, his Pap has been shooting some of the Rebels & they came very near shooting him too. My wound is pretty well healed up now & hurts me a little, but my Blouse & shirt have still got the hole in yet.
Give my love to all, no more at this time & I remain Your affectionate Husband
Jacob
Lydia A. Bushey