Ronnie Red Bumpkins

Mi deerest famili           i hop u r as sadden as i wus wen i foud out that general lee had surrendered to grant at appomattox.   But we did burned down richmond when the Union wus about to take it . i know that wuznt wut we intended but it had to be don. thay told uz that we culd keep r horses and guns so i cot to keep Joli for sam. i hop that fred culd get on wit hiz lif like the other negroes they setted free. i am glad that i culd see y'all again. i wil be livin in about a week or so.                                              love you so, Andy

Dear famile, I mis u all soo much! I think I might be hom soon. Im vary happy but saddened to lose the war. i just fight at the battle of attomatax tho and we lost the war. We got surrendered and got surrounded by grant. We burned down a town on the way to the battle but we got trapped trying to get away from grant but we keep fighting. I have to go to the surrender ceremony and I will be home. We get to keep sally our horse and our gun by the surrender agreements that grant an lee made . I’ll be home shortly! Miss you sooo much! Love Fred bloom jr

dear father the rebels had a really bad lost thout that you would be mad at me and relly be dissapointed. the union had taken r capitol richmond . you r in richmond right? so you know what we did to the capitol? well if you dont know me and my friends had burned it down. we had nothing to eat for days! it was so not fair but i would rather live then to die. but but when general lee was really tired he had wanted to surrender. general lee had sent grant a letter tat we wanted to surrender. so we had surrendered and something really cool had happened a captain and his horse had bowed down saying that they were surrendering! it was cool! i was so happy that i kept my orse and my weapons tat you had given me wheen i was leaving for the war! tey also said that i could not fiht with any of the rebels again... im going to see you and my lover again! im so happy! so i will see you soon! your son james

Dear ma and pa aperil 6, 1865 well u may hav heard dat we tore richmond tooo tha ground on apil 2, 1865.and da onion took over richmud. wel its now april 6. its now r final batal. we got 25000 troops left.da onion got 125000troops.i had 0 food  al i had wuz sum hardtacks that i shred w my freind.  dis iz how u make hardtacks. 3 cups of flower 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of water bake in oven at 350 degrees F i had lust sooo mani freind dat day. over 6000 die. lee met at wilber mcleans casa(house). le surendered en his livin rom. i can nevir fight again. i tok a OATH.       igut tu keep my gun tho. i alsoo gut sum fooood .     and i had tu giv back my CSA flagg/ther property stuffff.

deer father i am very glad tat you r ok, im realy glad that march wasnt anywhere near virginia. this wasnt fair, i feel like people dont kare abut peoples lives. this march was so brutal and terifying for the rebels.  they were taking evrything down and destryoing evrything . a lot of ppeople and a lot of my other frien ds died . its just not fair well ive got to go. hopfully i get to c u soon. wit luv james