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Raleigh N.C. April 17th 1865 Dear Parents; I suppose you have heard before this letter reaches you of the surrender of General Johnson and his army to Sherman. I should have written sooner but I thought I would wait until I could tell you the good news. The news came to camp last night that General Johnson was to surrender at 8 o'clock. We haven't heard what terms he got but I suppose it was the same as General Grant gave to General Lee. We left our camp at Goldsboro on the 10th and got here on the 13th, Our advance guard having drove the Rebs out of town. We heard of General Lees surrender on the 12th and we were pretty sure that General Johnson was too good a general to either fight or run after that. Finally got what we have been marching and fighting for over the last four years. We can't hardly realize it. It seem too good to be true. General Grant and Sherman have at last knocked both legs from under this Great Southern Confederacy and down she goes, Ker Plop in a heap. We first heard of the capture of Richmond on April 6th while we were in camp at Goldsboro. General Barnum had the brigade drawn up before his headquarters. He then read the dispatch from General Grant to General Sherman. Of curse we all cheered and yelled until we were hoarse. We heard of the capture of General Lees army on the 12th and of course that made us feel better yet. But last nights news was the climax. It was good, better and best all in one. I don't know what we will do for a living now. There are 120,000 men knocked out of a job. The only thing that Uncle Sam can do is to set us splitting rails and repairing the railroads that we destroyed since we left Atlanta. It will take at least 10 years to repair the damage. I went to see the famous city of Raleigh yesterday. It is an old fashioned town of about 10,000 inhabitants, who appear to be glad enough to see the Yankees. I don't know how long we will stay here or in what direction we will go when we leave. It they should keep the 149th for 5 months longer perhaps they will send us to Syracuse or Split Rock or somewhere around there for garrison duty. We haven't received any mail since we left Goldsboro. Your last letter was dated March 25th. Newspapers are scarce around here. I would like to see the NY Herald or Times with an account of General Lees surrender. Please send one. I have seen Jimmy Fay quite often since we came to Goldsboro. The battery that he belongs to came up from Newberne with the 23rd corps. He said that Sanford was taken prisoner near Kingston about a month ago. The late news must make it rather brisk. I advise all Patriotic young men to enlist and take the big bounty. Oliver |
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