Headquarters 50th ovd
Raleigh N.C.

Apr 14th 1865

Dear Sister, You will doubtless be anxious to hear from me by the tune this will arrive. So although I do not owe you a letter I will write. Events of immense importance have transpired within two weeks. Richmond has been taken. Lee's entire army surrendered to Grant and Johnston has fled from Sherman. We have entered Raleigh in triumph and feel very much elated with the prospect of a speedy end of the war by the subjugation of the Rebels. When that event transpires you may expect to see my familiar countenance once more at home. The 27th day of August now something more than four months distant is the day which if the United States govt is true to pledges will see me free from all obligations to do military service. You may look for me say the last day of August or the first of September and if I dont come then just keep on looking. Trees and every thing are n full leaf. Peaches are of considerable size so as to have sloughed off the old blossom and look like peaches. The weather is very warm almost too much so to march and yet if my conjectures are right we push in after Johnston tomorrow and will give neither him or ourselves any rest until the whole affair is settled. This is a very fine sandy country very unlike that nearer the seacoast as instead of Swamps we now have hills of tolerable size and fine rolling farms. The people in Raleigh approach nearer to being Union than any we have seen before since we left E. Tennessee. Holden is to continue the publication of the Raleigh Standard as a Union paper which it has always been at heart, & as far as possible openly. The army has burned some very fine houses in this march. I have learned that a number of our men who were taken prisoners. Starved and otherwise mistreated on escaping took an oath to destroy all the property they were able in Southern territory sparing the women and children only. Accordingly along the roadside far in advance or far in the rear as we marched along might be seen dense volumes of black smoke rising. Splendid houses superior to any in Sheffield very much finer than Mr. Parks for instance containing splendid pianos the property of planters owning thousands of acres of land and hundreds of Negroes were destroyed in this way. I must confess I was glad to see them burn in most instances where I knew the owners to have been original traitors.

Write soon Your Bro.

A.M.Weston Direct Headquarters 50th O.V.D. 3rd Brig. 2nd Div. 23rd A.G. Dept. of N.C.

Love to every body Keep on writing I'll be home in a few months

(Asa M. Weston enlisted on 8/11/62 as Sergeant in Company K, 50th Ohio Infantry, 3/4/65 promoted to Sgt Major, 4/22/65 promoted to 2nd Lt, 6/26/65 mustered out at Salisbury, NC)


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