Joseph Rutherford

Lee's surrender at Appomattox brought joy and relief to thousands of Northern soldiers and their families at home. It also released pent-up feelings of anger and national betrayal on the part of those who had risked their lives fighting for the cause of the Union.

From Alexandria, Virginia, Surgeon Joseph Rutherford of the 17th Vermont Infantry wrote the following letter to his wife Hannah on April 29, 1865, less than three weeks after the surrender. In the letter, Rutherford tries to ease the anxiety of his wife, who fears reprisals from the people surrounding him in enemy territory in Virginia. For his part, Rutherford shows a zealous devotion to the war his side has just won and a determination to see the Confederacy and its "hell born traitors" punished for their disloyalty.

Alexandria Va Apr 29th 1865

My dear Wife,

Ihave just received...