A Letter Home after Lee's Surrender
Burksville, April 12th 1865
Dear Wife
The last time I wrote you I was just leaving City Point for the Regiment. Well I came very near losing the chance to be in at death of the Confederacy for I was ordered to take a drove of beef cattle out to the Cavalry. I left the cattle and with my drove Saturday morning and caught up with the rear of the Cavalry that night but contrary to my expectations could not get relieved but was obliged to stay with the train and drive cattle until the morning of the sixth of April. I told the Commissary the day before that if he did not get me relieved and let me form the regiment I would turn his cattle in the woods and go any way. He finally got an order for me to leave a part of my men and join the Regt with the rest. I found them about ten or eleven oclock and had not been with them more than twenty minutes before we were ordered into a fight. The one you will hear of as the Battle of the Ridge. Our Brigade was in between the Second and Sixth Corps and part of the time between their line of skirmishers and line of battle and so had a splendid chance to see the Infantry fight. Our Regt captured a battle flag and more prisoners than we had men in the fight. But the greatest day was the ninth when Lee surrendered his entire army. We had a sharp fight dismounted early in the morning and were driven back but the Infantry came up and we were mounted and started to charge when they sent in a flag of truce asking a cessation of hostilities as Gen. Lee wanted to surrender his army. Gen. Custer received the flag but told the bearer that the only terms were immediate and unconditional surrender and that he was going to charge them. They begged him not to do it as it was a useless slaughter. He finally halted and the word passed along the line that Lee wanted to surrender. Such cheering I never heard. Everyone felt at once that their work was done that the war was virtually ended that our work was done and I doubt not that the first thought of all was of home. It certainly was the first word spoken by almost every one.
General Lee showed his good sense I thought when I saw his position. Both his flanks turned and the Cavalry all ready to charge his left flank and rear. I would not have missed the scene for my Commission. It repaid me for all the hardships I have suffered and for the last six months they have not been light. I am going to send this to Ohio as I do not believe you will leave there while there are such stirring times. ----because your chances to hear from the war are so much better than at home and I think you are anxious and if you have not gone home don't go until you hear from me. I don't wanted [sic] you to go until you hear from me again for we may get home in a few weeks and I want to stop in Ohio and want you there if I stop. I may be to sanguine about the war being over but think not.
Your Charles
[Ed. Note: Charles E. Storrs was commissioned a major in the Michigan 6th Cavalry under Gen. George A. Custer January 5, 1865. He was 32 years old with a wife and three small children at home in Michigan. The original letter is in the possession of Charles' grand-daughter.)
Updated January 17, 2006