November 29, 1863: Alexander Biddle to Julia Williams Rush Biddle

Transcript:

Camp at Cedar Run Bridge

November 29th, 1863 Sunday

Dear Wife,

Your letter of 24^th has come also the [leather?] and a long letter from Clem telling me of his movements with the battery which I was very glad to get. I put down in my letters pretty much all that happens but don’t know dear wife that I run any more risk than my duty demands. Today we had a deserter from the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry who came in from near Robertson’s river having been there five days on the route he said at first he feared he had come into a rebel camp but I think was undeceived and finally offered to take the oath of allegiance and join our ranks at once. He was named John Bronting from Halifax County Virginia and had been a volunteer for the war. He said he fell asleep on post and his companions told him he had been tried and a detail ordered to shoot him and he therefore came over. He said they were well fed, that they had fresh beef 4 times and salt meat twice a week and wheat flour 178 lb per day. From all I can learn it seems to me that the rebel army does not want in that respect, he said they wanted shoes but were fairly off for clothing. His regiment was about 200 strong in mounted men, the rest about the same number were dismounted. He was exceedingly dirty and a more wretched specimen of humanity in that respect I have never seen. He was set to work to cut wood for us for a while and showed himself strong and capable, it was something curious to see the expression of almost fear which he assumed when told to drop his hands and take the position of a soldier. These little things show to me a rigidity of discipline in the rebel army which does not pertain to our own. We hear today that Meade is 8 miles beyond Spotsylvania Court house on the way to Sextons Junction, of this is so. I think he must have driven Lee pretty hard. We hear that a large amount of rations was ordered to the white house on the [Pammunky?] which looks like a real “on to Richmond” but little firing has been heard today. May God in his mercy grant us success. Today the husband of the Jersey woman, Mrs. Kline, was returned from arrest and set free. Our scout also whom the Colonel sent forward to division Hd Qts is reported to have also absconded with a horse. These are pretty much the events of the day. The arrested men have all been sent to Alexandria. We have had an Englishman named King applying to get a pass for himself, daughter, and his goods and chattels to Alexandria. He has got a pass for himself and daughter but not for the other things. He it seems came out to this country with a sort of Communist Association bought 1070 acres of land. 70 were devoted to a park and he began to make several villages which he called Alphaville, Betaville, Gammaville, but got no farther in his alphabet. He said his mason and carpenter left him the first spring after their arrival when they found they could get [$1?] a day for their work and the young ladies (lacemakers) wouldn’t give their lace or the proceeds of it to the general stock but sold it in private. These difficulties and some intrinsic demerits in his system which was intended to remunerate the Capitalist the director and the laborer in different ways left him with no results except sinking as he says some $40000. He spoke of his making tile for drainage as a business and being successful in England. Here he professes to be still carrying on his occupation with success, but here everything is destroyed except some property near Washington upon which he builds castles in the air for future days. We hear that Meade went to Washington a short time since to ask permission to go into winter quarters but was ordered to go on. I do hope some great results will follow and that the rebellion may have received its death blow forever. It will be so if Lee receives a severe defeat which I hope and pray is the case. May I soon get back to you never again to part. The gloves are delightful; the book leather is all right as well as tooth brush. Thank you much beloved for your thoughtfulness of me. I do not hear from Tom as yet but suppose that will come in due time. Good night beloved wife. Heaven bless you and our darlings. Winny can’t be ugly, I am sure however pretty little Louis is. Give love to uncle and all at home.

Your loving husband, Alexander

Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle, 29 November 1863. Rush IV:30:37