Manuscript letter to "Brother William." Unknown author. Camp 186th Pennsylvania Infantry, Philadelphia, 15 April 1865. 4 pages, 8vo. On "Camp One-Hundred-and-Eighty-Sixth Regt. P.V." letterhead. Unsigned, possibly missing later pages. 

An excellent end-of-war letter written by a soldier of the 186th Pennsylvania Infantry. The regiment, mustered in 1864, served on provost duty in Philadelphia for its entire enlistment. Evidently, their urban headquarters allowed the soldiers to acquire specialized letterhead. 

In the letter, the soldier writes to his brother with news of Lee's surrender to General Grant at Appomattox: "By your letter I infer that you had not yet heard of the surrender of R.E. Lee and the Army of No. Virginia. Which news we received here on the 8th inst., it is glorious is it not [?] I wish you could have heard the rejoicing, or seen it here in Philadelphia! It was awful. They are going to have a grand parade on next Monday and an illumination of the whole city in the evening I think it will be a grand affair by the looks of the papers. 

He continues, with early thoughts on Virginia re-entering the Union: "I am of the same opinions as you about the rebellion being, "Done gone up" as the n----r would say. I see the Virginia Legislature are assembling to devise some way of getting the "Old Dominion" back again; my opinion is that we will have "Peace" in less than two months if not sooner."

The letter concludes with speculation as to the fates of General Lee and his men: "Gen. Lee it is reported intends going to Europe with his family saying that Jeff Davis had deceived him in the war of treason; his army is estimated at 75,000 men who stand paroled. A big thing is it not?"

The 186th would serve until August 15th, when they were mustered out. Colorful content. 

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