Dear my loving wife,
I hope you and father are doing well. Tell father that I am sorry that I had to leave so he has to hold up the plantation by himself. I know it was sudden news that we enlisted. President Lincoln put together an army of 75,000 men so I had to enlist to keep our 71 slaves. I still can't believe that the northerners, or the union, think slavery is bad. It is a God-given right for us to own them. I agree with you and father as well that slaves are our children regardless of their age.
All is well here although my sons and I miss home desperately. My sons are almost the youngest here since one is 18 which is the minimum age and the other is 20 which is still very close. They both wanted you to know that they feel like you are there mother even though you are not but there mothers both passed much to all of our sadness. The camp is not nearly as comfortable as home. Since I had a good education at the private school in Lynchburg they put me as a lieutenant colonel which is the highest rank of the regiment. Currently, my sons and I are stationed together but they are not in my regiment.
Don't worry about us for the Confederacy has the best-trained generals from West Point and other academies like that. My sons and I will come home uninjured and safe after we have finally made the Union realize that they cannot defeat us and that slavery is what will keep our economy and country going and that slavery is not actually bad. Tell father my report as well. I will send letters as often as I can although I don't know how often I will be able to. Please write me back and tell me about how everything is there. Tell father to write to me as well. I will only be able to write to one of you because we conserve the paper so please share all my letters with him. I miss Virginia very much but we know that the only way to keep our slaves is with violence because of the Battle of Fort Sumter and I have to do my part. I miss you and will miss you very much Sally.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Husband,
Fitzhugh Johnston Pettigrew
I hope you and father are doing well. Tell father that I am sorry that I had to leave so he has to hold up the plantation by himself. I know it was sudden news that we enlisted. President Lincoln put together an army of 75,000 men so I had to enlist to keep our 71 slaves. I still can't believe that the northerners, or the union, think slavery is bad. It is a God-given right for us to own them. I agree with you and father as well that slaves are our children regardless of their age.
All is well here although my sons and I miss home desperately. My sons are almost the youngest here since one is 18 which is the minimum age and the other is 20 which is still very close. They both wanted you to know that they feel like you are there mother even though you are not but there mothers both passed much to all of our sadness. The camp is not nearly as comfortable as home. Since I had a good education at the private school in Lynchburg they put me as a lieutenant colonel which is the highest rank of the regiment. Currently, my sons and I are stationed together but they are not in my regiment.
Don't worry about us for the Confederacy has the best-trained generals from West Point and other academies like that. My sons and I will come home uninjured and safe after we have finally made the Union realize that they cannot defeat us and that slavery is what will keep our economy and country going and that slavery is not actually bad. Tell father my report as well. I will send letters as often as I can although I don't know how often I will be able to. Please write me back and tell me about how everything is there. Tell father to write to me as well. I will only be able to write to one of you because we conserve the paper so please share all my letters with him. I miss Virginia very much but we know that the only way to keep our slaves is with violence because of the Battle of Fort Sumter and I have to do my part. I miss you and will miss you very much Sally.
Sincerely,
Your Loving Husband,
Fitzhugh Johnston Pettigrew
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