Rare 1864 Confederate Soldier Letter from Jackson Hospital – Richmond, VA

Rare 1864 Confederate Soldier Letter from Jackson Hospital – Richmond, VA
 
Jackson Hosp. Div No 2.
Ward “H” - Richmond Va
July 18th 1864
My Dear Pa I am still at
Jackson Hospital. Am slow-ly declining - in strength and flesh - I should have been at home long since - but the rest would been in an unanticipated condition - I was ordered before the board for a furlough but an order came off the same from the Medical Director at Richmond suspending all furloughs for a time but - tis obtained again and I hope to be with you all soon - suffer no uneasiness concerning me I am well fed - well clothed and well attended to - I would give you heart & to tell of what I
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daily see at this place of sickness - suffering and death - but I spare you the sad recital - at least sight or two die here daily - I have not heard a word from home since I got Buddie’s Mother’s letter in an answer to mine - of May 11th or 12th or 23rd - I am very anxious to hear from you all - but I trust to God that all is well - you must write to one at this place for fear I may be detained here sometime yet - I suffer no pain - I throw up everything I eat - I have dyspepsia as bad as ever - Now for me my dear Pa - I am your loving affectionate son by Kiss my Ma for me. J T H FitzPatrick
 
 
The Jackson Hospital was one of the largest and most significant Confederate military hospitals during the Civil War. Named in honor of General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, it opened on June 29, 1863, in the western suburbs of Richmond (beyond Hollywood Cemetery), roughly midway between Camp Lee and Winder Hospital.
At its peak, the complex included 49 buildings (some sources note up to 98 structures including support buildings), spanning a large campus with 40+ acres of gardens for fresh produce, deep wells, natural springs, bakeries, cook-houses, warehouses, bathhouses, recreational facilities, and even its own library and central patient registry. It originally had a capacity of around 1,980–3,000 patients but quickly expanded to handle over 4,300, including tent wards. It featured five (later six) divisions, with Ward “H” mentioned in this letter being part of Division No. 2.
By 1864, as the Overland Campaign and fighting around Petersburg intensified, the hospital was constantly overwhelmed with sick and wounded soldiers, primarily from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia units. Daily death rates of 8–10 (as the letter notes) were not uncommon during peak periods. The hospital complex was self-sustaining in many ways, with its own farmland and transportation links to downtown Richmond. It even raised companies of African American Confederate troops from among its employees and attendants, who saw active service.
After the fall of Richmond in April 1865, Federal forces used the site (along with Camp Jackson) as a hospital and encampment for Confederate prisoners, known temporarily as Camp Grant, until at least September 1865. Some of the original ward buildings survived and were later converted into homes.
 
This letter captures a poignant, personal glimpse into the non-combat reality of the war: chronic illness, bureaucratic delays on furloughs, and the grim daily toll inside one of the Confederacy’s busiest medical facilities.