Camp near Warrenton JunctionOct 31st 1863My dear Wife,

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I wrote a letter to you yesterday but having a little spare time on my hands I thought I could not dispose of it better than writing a few lines to you thought I have not much interest to write. It rained here all night last night and the consequence is that we have been wollowing in the mud all day to day. But the afternoon is delightfully fine, the sun is shining bright and warm and we are drying our wet clothes. We have been gradually working back to our old position and we have now got most to our old camp near Sulphur Springs. We are repairing the R.R. that the Rebs destroyed where we left this section of the country in such great haste. It seems wicked that a country which is so splendedly beautiful one on which God has seems to calculate should be the delight of man Intended for his uttermost enjoyment should be laid waste, where mine runs rist. It would futile to attempt to portray the natural beauties of this part of Virginia, and yet it may be said to be God forsaken. And what has done it? The answer is simply this the vile curse of Slavery. The blackest

Stain that ever rested on a country or poluted teh heart of man. Gods curse will rest upon the land that tolerates, and people that sustain it. It works in a thousand ways to destroy all that is noble in the heart of man and to destroy his physical organization. In the first place the white race [      ] indolent and [    ] it a disgrace to labor, there in order to keep property in teh family, inter-marriage is resorted to, thus having two fold causes producing physical poverty and mental inbecility. There is another great cause for this state of things, their moral senseabilities are gross, and [       ], by their wickedly cohability with their female slaves. This habit commences at an early age and judging by the number of sheeps grey niggers it is well kept up late in life. And this class of men call themselves the chivelry of the land, the Gods annointed. By this is is easy to judge what the white woman are, where they can marry, and bring forth offsprings from such men, well knowing all these facts, what can such a people amount to? Can we wonder that all personal and national pride and honor is altogether lost? And yet we have men & even women in the north who stand ready to uphold these wreches in their hellish wickedness. If God who has the power to create and destroy a universe, had

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to bring all the forces in heaven to destroy the power of Lucifer, is it to wondered at that this hellish rebelion is so hard to be put down, that a just government has to bring all its horts to meet this willy foe, who can be governed by none other than this same Hell born Rebel? Let me tell you and all that if we do not want this state of things to exist in our own fair land every man and woman must put forth all their energies to repel it. We are not fighting for one or two generations, but to establish a principle for all future time, and he who lends his powers to the accompaniment of this great end will do mankind be a benefactor to his ran and an honor to himself and his family.

I do not know as their reflections will interest you, but when I look around me and see what this country might have been been for these causes. I cannot half having such thoughts and some times expressing them.

I intended to late to write and now the mail is going out. I am writing this with my eyes full of smoke, and hands numb with cold, for it is a cold night and my candle flares so I cant see

My health is good. God Bless you and all the children. Give my love to them, and lots of love to your dear self

Your affectionate husbandJ.C. Rutherford

Dont send any thing to me till I direct