Minnesota Communities

	Red Wing: Civil War

Source

Letter 3

Type

Letter

Year

1865

Source

Minnesota Historical Society

Size

280K

Lucius F. Hubbard wrote this letter to his aunt after hearing of the end of the war and the assassination of President Lincoln.

We first learned of the capture of Richmond,
the surrender of Lee's army and the probab-
ilities of a speedy termination of the war, about
the 10th ult., while on the march. It was near
the close of a very hot day; the troops had
made a long march, over dusty roads, and
were feeling sore and tired out. The column
had halted for a rest, and the men were seek-
ing protection from the heat in the corners of
fences, and on the friendly side of an occasion-
al stump or tree; when a courier bringing dis-
patches, rode rapidly up from the rear. He
halted a moment, and communicated the
joyful news to me, which you may be sure
did not linger long in its way to the men;
and there followed a scene it was a delight
to witness. The heat, dust and fatigue were
forgotten; the weary became rested and the
footsore suddenly cured. Officers and soldiers
abandoned themselves to the most extravagant
demonstrations of joy. Everybody cheered and
shouted until they were hoarse. The men dis-
regarding orders and discipline, fired a
salute with their muskets on their own
account. They pulled and hustled each
other about, stood on their heads, rolled in
the dirt and were guilty of innumerable
other absurd performances; indeed, they were
positively frantic for awhile. But all
our joy was turned to sorrow, and our re-
joicing to the deepest mourning upon our
arrival here, to learn of the death by
assassination of President Lincoln and
Secy. Seward. What a terrible calamity, and
to occur just at this crisis. There is a feeling
of regret among the troops that the war is like-
ly soon to cease. They feel that the President's as-
sassination calls for a terrible vengeance, and
they regard themselves the proper instruments for
its execution. Woe be to the people of the south,
if hostilities again commence. In President Lin-
coln they lost their best friend.