Raleigh, NC
April the 19 /65
Dear Wife
Your wellcome and long looked for letter of the 25th and 28th of March was received yesterday. I was verry glad to hear from you once more and to hear that you were all enjoying good health. I have been quite sick but I am feeling verry well now. We are at Raleigh yet. The great strugel is over. The war is no more. Our lion that we have fought and drove so much is tame. Sherman can handle him alone now. Sherman is in his chage the most of the time and before you get this you will hear what he has done for peace. What a blessed word is peace. How the great heart of a nation throbs at the prospect of an early peace which we are shure to have. No one is so foolish as to think the war can continue. I thought when we were at Goldsboro that we would have one long campaign but it ended at Raleigh. Thank God they are obliged to surrender. This has been a horrible war four years fighting. It ended just the right time. I am glad the south fought as they did. If this war had been setteld three years ago we would have soone had another war but now they know they have had a war. They have been so severily whiped that they are glad to come to our terms and to submit to our laws. The beautiful south that was once the Garden of Eden is now a desert. Wars desolating course has ravaged the land and woe and misery has followed in its track in pitty. The innosent of the south have suffered enough. Starvation must be at their door in northern Georgia. We have verry sad news here from Washington. The death of Lincoln. It dont seem posible but I am afraid it is true. There is not blood enough in the south to pay for his life but some of them were determined not to come in under him. You stated that you was going to live in Rast little house this summer. I hope to be there soone and then I will find a place to live. You are out of money. I wish they would pay us. They owe us 8 months. I will send you what I have by me. I have got over $50 lent in the co but I cant get it until we get pay. I wanted to send it all in a lump. I would had over two hundred to send you. I will send 18 dollars in this. That will help you some. I hope before it is gone I will be home. I have had to use some more when I was sick. I had no apetite to eat. I had to but some things or I guess I would died. I feel quite like myself again but it will take some time to get up to where I was. It has drawn me down verry much. The 16th NY Battery are here. I see George Billans and one of the Chidesters. Old Bloomer is getting up on his ear some. I wonder what he is going to do about it. He is what I always thought he was a real old sun-of a bich. We are having beautiful weather now. Tell Paul I borrowed the box. Write often. I will answer all your letters. I dont think of eney more to write this time so I will close by biding you all good buy. My love to you dear Charlotte
Charles Engle