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Hi all,
I posted this on another Civil War forum. The original letter was found in a home in Accomack County, on Virginia's Eastern Shore. My sister was able to get a copy before the original was sent off to the Museum of the Confederacy. Lots of good info on Lee's death and surrounding events. Here is the contents of letter:
Va. Military Institute
Lexington. Oct 16th 1870
Dear Mother
I expect you have
been looking for a letter from me for sometime and in fact I would but about the time I thought of writing the rains and the floods came on, destroying bridges, canals and cutting off communication generally.
I suppose of coarse that you all read full accounts of Gen. Lee's death, in the paper. He died on the morning of the 12th at about half past nine. All business was suspended at once all over the Country and town and all duties, military and accademics suspended at the Institute, and all the black crape and all similar black material in Lexington was used up at once and they had to send on to Lynchburg for more. Every cadet had black crape issued to him and on order was published at once requiring us to wear it on a badge of mourning for six months. The battalion flag was heavily draped in black and is to stay so for the next 6 months. The Institute has been hung all around with black. The College buildings were also almost covered with black. All the churches, and in fact, the Town looked as if they had been tring to cover everything with festoons of black ???? and every sort of black that could be procurred.
The mourning after his death, we march and escorted the remains from the house to Washington College Chapel where they lay in "state" until the burial. Yesterday morning after the remains were placed in the Chapel on the morning of the 13th the entire procession was marched through the Chapel past the corpse which they were allowed to look at the lid off the coffin having been taken off for that purpose. I saw the General after his death and never saw a greater change than must have taken place in him a short time before he died. Some days before he was taken, I met him in the path leading into town. Coming in direction of the barracks He was walking and seemed to be the picture of health and when I saw him in his coffin, he looked to be reduced to half his original size and despartely thin. When first taken with the paralytive stroke or what ever it was, he fell on the dining room floor. A bed was placed under him and he died where he fell. The doctors forbid anyone to move him. Myself and four other cadets with Gen. Smith's permission sat up all night with the corpse on Friday night. perfect silence was kept the whole night, no one speaking except in a low whisper. It was considered a great honor to be allowed to sit up with the remains, and a great many applied for the privilege but one of the College professors on arrival took only five of us whom he requested to stay. The day following the funeral procession after marching all around town and through the Institutes grounds, passed around the Chapel and he was buried in the basement. The procession was a very large one, a great many persons from a distance being here. Our brass band with muffled drums, went ahead of the hearse playing the dead march. Cannon of our stationary battery was fired off. The hearse however was perfectly empty the corpse being all the time in the Chapel where it was placed at first.
The flood of which I spoke did a great deal of damage in this part of the Country carrying off some ten or fifteen houses, some dwelling houses some ware houses situated at the canal boat landing near here all the bridges on the river was carried off and the canal running to this place entirely ruined all the locks being torn up and carried off. It was a rare sight to see large houses, bridges, mills and every sort of lumber go sailing at a rapid rate down the river up to a week or two since we could get no mails or anything that had to come from a distance and it is still very difficult to get provissions. Mails come and go regularly now as they have fixed ferries for stages ???.
I was made a sergeant in Co. A about three weeksago and the evening after the first appointment. I was appointed color sergeant. I have to carry the battalion flag and have charge of the colorguard do not wear any such accouterments as cartridge box and bayonet scabbard when I am in charge of the guard as the other sergeants love to do, but wear only a sword and sash, go to Church in the staff and enjoy various other privileges.
Jessie is getting along very well. he seems to be a general favorite. I had him put in a room with the best new cadets that I could find. One of them is a son of Col. Outaney of Loudon. The others seem very nice little fellows and they are all about the same size.
I am getting along pretty well. I think, and I written about all that I can think of at present. Let me hear from you soon and let me know wheather or not Gen. Smith sent Pa the receipt for deposite
Your affectionate son,
W. Nalle
I posted this on another Civil War forum. The original letter was found in a home in Accomack County, on Virginia's Eastern Shore. My sister was able to get a copy before the original was sent off to the Museum of the Confederacy. Lots of good info on Lee's death and surrounding events. Here is the contents of letter:
Va. Military Institute
Lexington. Oct 16th 1870
Dear Mother
I expect you have
been looking for a letter from me for sometime and in fact I would but about the time I thought of writing the rains and the floods came on, destroying bridges, canals and cutting off communication generally.
I suppose of coarse that you all read full accounts of Gen. Lee's death, in the paper. He died on the morning of the 12th at about half past nine. All business was suspended at once all over the Country and town and all duties, military and accademics suspended at the Institute, and all the black crape and all similar black material in Lexington was used up at once and they had to send on to Lynchburg for more. Every cadet had black crape issued to him and on order was published at once requiring us to wear it on a badge of mourning for six months. The battalion flag was heavily draped in black and is to stay so for the next 6 months. The Institute has been hung all around with black. The College buildings were also almost covered with black. All the churches, and in fact, the Town looked as if they had been tring to cover everything with festoons of black ???? and every sort of black that could be procurred.
The mourning after his death, we march and escorted the remains from the house to Washington College Chapel where they lay in "state" until the burial. Yesterday morning after the remains were placed in the Chapel on the morning of the 13th the entire procession was marched through the Chapel past the corpse which they were allowed to look at the lid off the coffin having been taken off for that purpose. I saw the General after his death and never saw a greater change than must have taken place in him a short time before he died. Some days before he was taken, I met him in the path leading into town. Coming in direction of the barracks He was walking and seemed to be the picture of health and when I saw him in his coffin, he looked to be reduced to half his original size and despartely thin. When first taken with the paralytive stroke or what ever it was, he fell on the dining room floor. A bed was placed under him and he died where he fell. The doctors forbid anyone to move him. Myself and four other cadets with Gen. Smith's permission sat up all night with the corpse on Friday night. perfect silence was kept the whole night, no one speaking except in a low whisper. It was considered a great honor to be allowed to sit up with the remains, and a great many applied for the privilege but one of the College professors on arrival took only five of us whom he requested to stay. The day following the funeral procession after marching all around town and through the Institutes grounds, passed around the Chapel and he was buried in the basement. The procession was a very large one, a great many persons from a distance being here. Our brass band with muffled drums, went ahead of the hearse playing the dead march. Cannon of our stationary battery was fired off. The hearse however was perfectly empty the corpse being all the time in the Chapel where it was placed at first.
The flood of which I spoke did a great deal of damage in this part of the Country carrying off some ten or fifteen houses, some dwelling houses some ware houses situated at the canal boat landing near here all the bridges on the river was carried off and the canal running to this place entirely ruined all the locks being torn up and carried off. It was a rare sight to see large houses, bridges, mills and every sort of lumber go sailing at a rapid rate down the river up to a week or two since we could get no mails or anything that had to come from a distance and it is still very difficult to get provissions. Mails come and go regularly now as they have fixed ferries for stages ???.
I was made a sergeant in Co. A about three weeksago and the evening after the first appointment. I was appointed color sergeant. I have to carry the battalion flag and have charge of the colorguard do not wear any such accouterments as cartridge box and bayonet scabbard when I am in charge of the guard as the other sergeants love to do, but wear only a sword and sash, go to Church in the staff and enjoy various other privileges.
Jessie is getting along very well. he seems to be a general favorite. I had him put in a room with the best new cadets that I could find. One of them is a son of Col. Outaney of Loudon. The others seem very nice little fellows and they are all about the same size.
I am getting along pretty well. I think, and I written about all that I can think of at present. Let me hear from you soon and let me know wheather or not Gen. Smith sent Pa the receipt for deposite
Your affectionate son,
W. Nalle
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