General Hospital
Point of Rocks, Virginia
May 3rd 1865

Dear Wife,

I will now pen a few lines hoping they will find you well, for they leave me in good health for one that has been so sick, for I have been very sick. I wish that I was with my pet for I am tired of the army now that the war is ended. But we have got a Colonel that is looking for promotion through our regiment and he will keep us as long as possible to get it. I hope that he will fail in his project for we cost the State and Government so much that I think they will try to get us home as soon as possible. I want to get home once more, free from the army. Then I shall be happy.

I did not get to the company [in time] for muster on the last of the month but it is just as well for if I had gone to the company, I might of been down again. I don’t hear of any soldiers being discharged yet and it may be months before they begin for our men has got to take possession of every city and village in the South.

I hope that you have begun to get that box ready for I want that watch and I shall soon be on duty and it is very hard work to borrow one every time that I go on detail so you will do me a kindness by sending it as soon as possible. My time is half out today. I have served 18 months of my new enlistment and if I have to stay my time out I have only 18 months longer to stay. But I don’t think that I shall stay more than six months longer at most.

Give my respects to Wanton and Mary. Tell Wont to take care of you. If he don’t, I won’t give him a chew of tobacco when I meet him on the corner. Tell him I can eat clams as well as ever and that he must look out for when I get home I shall make him a visit and eat him out of house and home (and that I won’t pay for it either).

I wish I knew whether you saw the letter that he sent to me. If you did not, I will send it to you and I know that you will laugh for he says in one part of it that you can stay down to his house if I will pay your board. And in another part, he wants me to try and make you stay till I get home with him for he wants you to stay very much. I had to laugh when I read in his letter that you could stay if I paid your board. I will pay him off for that when I get home, the rascal. I guess he don’t know how ugly I am now that I have been sick.

The news has come that the Rebel General Johnston has surrendered his army to General Sherman so there is no more rebels to fight. So if I can’t fight rebels, I will fight Wont if he don’t take care of you and dry up about paying board. I will close now for want of paper to write on. To my pet. Ever your husband, — C. Chapman