The Final Letter

The letter below was written by a Civil War nurse during the battle at Gettysburg. The young nurse's name was Rachel. A nurse friend stated Rachel had died of pneumonia a couple of weeks after composing the letter when she was walking at night in the rain on her way back to her parent's farm.

This letter is used with permission for the family.

July 3,1863

To my dearest Motor,

As I am writing you this letter, my heart is grief-stricken and my hand is heavy.I have

been working nonstop for two days here at Gettysburg trying my best to save Joshua

Lawrence Chamberlain's men. Today, however, was the worst fighting I have encounter as

of yet. General James Longstreet's men decided that would attach Chamberlain at Little

Round Top. It was terrible, Mother; the casualties and the amount of wounded men. For a

while I didn't even think there would be any survivors at Little Round Top. Mother, when

Longstreet and His men came and attacked more than once we all knew for certain we were

doomed. However, there was hope, for Chamberlain decided after they brutally massacred

the majority of his men and when all of the ammunition was gone they would charge down

Little Round Top with bayonets on their guns forcing General Longstreet's men back down

the hill. the strategy worked Mother.Because of his strategic movement of forcing them

down the hill, the movement allowed all of us nurses to try and help the wounded men and

keep the wounded men and keep those we knew were going to die as peaceful as possible.

Dearest Mother of all mothers, I truly wish you could have been with me while I was

doing my best to save all of Chamberlain's have and courageous 20th Main I sure could

have used your support and assistance. More than anything though though, I felt as if I

were all alone tying to keep hundreds of men alive. Now that I am writing you this letter, I

realize I wasn't alone. You were with me the entire time and so was God. Knowing this

makes my heart feel a little and not so full of grief.

Mother, I thought I should be the one to tell you about little cousin Tommy. He was

one of the first killed when the North decided to charge the South with Bayonets.

Tommy rushed ahead of everyone else when the charge began and one of the Southerners

who still had ammunition shot him down before he could say charge. I was there when he

was shot down. I ran to side where he had fallen and held him in my arms, hugging him

with warm salty tears streaming down my face while the rest of the 20th Maine continued

their embankment down the hill. I probably cried for a long five minutes before another

nurse came and got me saying there were more than my cousin and that I could probably

cave someone else's son or brother. I picked myself up then, took a deep breath, and went to

help the rest of our wounded men.I will be home soon Mother, so this will probably be the

last letter you will receive from me. I will have more stories when I get there. Until then,

tell everyone I live them and I will be home very shortly. Please tell Aunt Elizabeth how

sorry I am about Tommy. I love you all !

Your devoted daughter,

Rachel