Will Fisher to his mother
Raleigh, North Carolina
April 29, 1865

Dear Mother,

I will write you a line today for the last in this latitude. Tomorrow or next day we start on a march overland to Richmond, from there on to Washington.
Gen. Sherman has issued another general order announcing the final agreement between him and Gen. Johnston which results in a complete surrender of everything in the Confederacy east of the Chattahoochee River. He also indicated the general plan of the march from here to Washington. High Officers express the opinion that we will get home about the 1st of July. We will be in Richmond by the 15th of May, and Wash. by the 1st of June.
The mail leaves here for the last time this (Saturday) afternoon at 3 o’clock. Tomorrow is Sabbath and we may not go till Monday, but if we don’t, there will be no mail go.
Gen. Sherman’s army are celebrating the funeral of President Lincoln today we not having any chances before. Minute guns are being fired all day and services are being held in some of the churches in town.
I am very busy making a muster roll for tomorrow’s muster, it being the last day of the month and I shall have to work about all night now. I steal a few moments to write you this however. I wrote to John Thursday, and to Ab and Min Wednesday.
I dread the hard marching before us, but don’t know but it will be better than to be crowded on board transports at sea, at least Gen. Sherman thinks so, and his notions are law in these parts.
It is very curious that a brave man like Gen. Sherman & so used to scenes of bloodshed &c should be so timid in this. He has always been very careful of life, however, that is, on his side of the house. I don’t believe many men could bring an army from Chattanooga to here with as little loss of life as he has.
Gen. Johnston, it is supposed, surrendered about 25000 men, and the arms and public property are to be turned over to an officer designated by Gen. Sherman at Greensboro in this state.
This had made pretty complete work of the rebellion & I am exceedingly hopeful that ere long the glorious sun of peace will rise upon this long night of blood.
Now Mother, if you feel any as I do, the days seem like weeks and weeks like months so impatient are you for the moment when, if spared, we shall meet again in that dear old home beneath the shade of the old maples. I have had more impatience for the time to arrive within the last few days than in my whole term of service before. It certainly will be a great treat for me to see you all again, but we must have patience to wait without too much worrying.
If you see Mrs. Charlotte Scott, tell her that he is well and wanted me to have you tell her for I do this writing (alias, amanuensis) & I have no time today. With a great deal of love for my dear Mother and Aunt I subscribe myself their “returning soldier boy.”

Will

P.S. John Marshall gave me the enclosed “carte de visites” so I send them along.