124th NY Letter Written on Muster Roll, April 21-28, 1865, Including Accounts of Booth's Capture, Lincoln's Funeral, Johnston's Surrender, and More 

4pp, each 15.5 x 21 in., penned by Pvt. Alexander M. Valet, Co. I, 124th New York Infantry, on a United States Army Muster Roll and Pay Roll form, addressed to Ettie (his wife), dated at Augur USA Hospl., [Alexandria], Va., the top of the page April 26 [1865], but with entries until the 30th. Alexander M. Valet (or Valett), enlisted at Newburgh, NY, August 11, 1862, and was mustered out at Augur Hospital June 2, 1865.

The writer begins by saying he is elated as he has heard a rumor that all men in service since 1862 will be receiving furloughs for the remainder of their term of service, and will receive half pay to be on call in case of emergency.  He says that IX Corps is nearby and All is quiet and peaceful -- for four years this is the first time the Army of the Potomac has had no enemy in front -- the boys say that they cannot hardly realize the fact.  He says that some paroled Confederate prisoners that have already taken up arms again despite of Lee's surrender, and that a squadron of cavalry has been sent out with authority to shoot them right on the spot.

The next paragraph begins, Well Ettie another day has gone never to return but this day will be remembered for years to come or I may say as long as the World stands...the capture of J. Wilkes Booth, the President's Murderer...he was captured today about 3 miles from here by a Sergeant of the 16th NY Cavalry but it is to be regretted that he was not taken alive...he was shot dead or at least died within 3 hours after receiving the wound...It was to good a death for him...he ought to have been tortured to death the cowardly villian.  He goes on to say that there are still conspirators on the loose, and he believes that the assassin's famous brother (Edwin Booth) must have known as well.

The writer says he had been to Washington for Lincoln's funeral procession and saw the body lying in state in the White House: I never saw such a large crowd in my life...It seemed as though every inhabitant of Washington male and female black and white was there... He says the procession took an hour and 25 minutes to pass his point, and he has heard about similar tributes throughout the North as the funeral train proceeds to Springfield.  He continues, ...Just for a moment look at the difference four years ago when he was inaugurated, he was greeted with the scoffs and sneers of the proud and aristocratic in both Hemispheres and now having conducted the greatest war in modern times to a successful conclusion and being triumphantly reelected and reinaugurated he dies by the hand of a cowardly assassin with a halo of true glory about his honorable name, loved and respected by the very men who hated him four years ago.  Not only do the American people mourn him as if he were the Father of each family but the sentiment of reverence has spread to the British Provinces and so far as we have heard from them they say that the news of the fearful calamity evinced a deeper sympathy than was ever shown before by Foreigners... He goes on to note that he read in that day's newspaper that the conspiracy may have started in Canada and been approved by the "Knights of the Golden Circle" in Richmond.

The entry for April 28th begins with a lengthy and enthusiastic description of the the beauty of a spring morning in Virginia, which makes him reflect:...thank God that I am permitted to enjoy it while so many of my comrades that was as buoyant in health as myself a short time ago are now laid low in the dust, some by the hand of disease others by the whistling bullet or the wizzing shell. He says he often finds himself thinking about his time as a soldier and always comes to the conclusion that only a divine providence saved him from being mangled and maimed by those deadly missiles, and that if he indeed makes it home he will lead a different life than before out of a feeling of duty toward God that will take a lifetime to fulfill.

The next several paragraphs include reminisces of home and his wife, including talk about planting corn, cucumber, and melons. He mentions what seems to be the upcoming Grand Review and that he would love to have his wife come to Washington to see it and then to tour the battlefields at Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and Gettsyburg on their way home, so that he can show her exactly where he fought.  He mentions that he would love to have his father (or father-in-law) come as well, but an old farmer as a general thing does not like to get out of the smoke of their own chimney, which he jokes may actually be a good thing as then they are not to be blown up by steamboat boilers and mashed to pieces, alluding to the explosion of the SS Sultana on April 27.

The entry for April 29th says that a young orderly burst into the hospital that morning with the news that Gen. Johnston had surrendered his entire army on the same terms as Lee, and that it was been ordered that all soldiers remaining in hospitals be honorably discharged with full and immediate pay: ...hip hip hurrah well well you never saw such a crazy lot of boys as was in this hospital this morning on receipt of the news...

The final entry on the 30th states that it is not almost certain he will be discharged by June 1st (he was actually discharged June 2).  He died in 1905 at the age of 65 and is buried in Ulster County, NY.