1861 June 30 Washington [D. C.]

Dear woman with thank
fulness to Almity God
for the protection of my
life up to the preasent
for the first time have
an oportunaty to write you a few
lines, last monday eavning i arivde
at Camp Morgan and found that
the 28 Rigement was gone 4 hours
sat what to do i did not know, but
i fond the 16 Rigement of N.Y. St
Volonteers in the Camp & under Marching
orders for the neght day & i liked
Colonel Davis wall so i listed in their
Rigement & is well Satisfide the are
larger and hartyer set of man than
i have yet seen in Rigement,
thurs day afternoon we broc [broke?] Camp
to march threw Albany 4 mails to
the Steamboat to take us to New York

[page 2]
We landed at New York Wenesday
at 10 oClock & paraded threw the City arived
at pear [pier?] No. 2 to tace Steamboat for

[inserted above this line]
if you git New York tribune daeley of the 27 of June you [?] see

Elizabeth town than by Cars to Washington
but wee wer delayed untill the negst
day night 10 o Clock when wee started
for Elizabeth town from there via Harris-
bourg & Baltamore ariving at Washington
Saturday the 29 where we now are
i and all of us are vere tired having
not slept sinse wee started on the Cars
& last knite & now i am on garde but
expect to bee realevede soon, for I have
to Write on my blancet on the grond
for a tabel whith is not very good
writing. but convenince is nothing to dute.
and now my dear Woman lat toruble
overcom you trust God for your Strangth
and pray for me that he in his great
wold lat me come bac to you once
more for i Should like to see all
once more and then i am satisfied
to die, Henry Linbough will

[page 3]
see to you and help you untill
i can send you some money, for so
far i have not seen any necssary use
for money excpting for tobaco & writing
matearial & Stamps, & Should i soone
be cald on to face the eneme Whith i dont
think probable yet for a copple of weeks
but shuold the order come for Marching
i gladly go to the field to protact the
contry and my famly for I am more
impreast with the Justes [justice?] of the cuose [cause?]sense
i come here, and should i fall the U.S.
Goverment will provide for you well,
i have not as yet bin outside the
Camp and have kno deesire excepting to
go to Chur Meating and probable shall
if it dont rians to hard, i think i
shall have time to see the Capitol
i have bin in as good healt ever seens
i started and if it continues as it has
i Shall bee verey thankfull an com bac
inproved in healt and strenght

[page 4]
I must close for the Reavelle is beating
tell the Children all to be duetiful
and obedient to you for mee,
kiss them all for mee little
Robert, Henry, & George,
tell Hiram to doe the best hee
can, if hee cant make the
hieast wadges not to despare
Write to mee as soon you git this
My best respect to all my friends
from yours Affectionate
Husbund
Francis A. Englehart
Write to
Francis A. Englehart
Washington D.C.
in care of Capt. Gibson
16 Regiment N Y Volunteers

Colonel Thomas Davies, 16th New York

Warren Gibson, Captain of Company H., was blinded in the battle of Gaines Mill, 1862, by a bullet that struck through his face horizontally. He survived.

This letter was purchased for the University of Virginia Library by the late Professor Atcheson L. Hench, who studied the development of the English language and was fascinated by Englehart’s phonetic spelling.

MSS 8474-u

1861 June 30 Washington [D.C.]

Dear Mother–All of us arrived here & are with the exception of
one Man which was killed on the way by tumbling off the cars What I have
seen of Washington, I like verry well the Regiment passed through Balti
more without any trouble there was not A Man or boy that hissed at us
going through the streets, I went in the Senate Chamber last Friday it is A
splendid Chamber, when we arrived here they did not give us any thing to
eat we had to go & buy what we wanted to eat, we are in Camp Alonong[sic]the first
& the second & third & fourth Regiments of Maine & nineteenth & the twenty first
21st of New York one of the New York guards captured one of the Rebels who was
spying round, I would like to know whether you receivd A picture that I had
taken in Boston & I would like to have William to send me the Portland advertiser
I would like to have the Boston Journal of last wendsday I want to see what
the Boston Folks say About the Regiment, I am yours truly son Joseph Leavitt

Joseph Leavitt was a private in Company G of the 5th Maine

MSS 66

1861 June 29

[a continuation of the previous day’s letter from John W. Jones]

I was called off yesterday evening to go to Winchester
for the box wh[ich] you wrote me the other day you
h[a]d sent. The pants sent me were too small but
I exchanged them for another pair in the box wh[ich] fit
very well and for wh[ich] accept my thanks. Pen, Ed, & I
were put on guard at seven yesterday evening and
will not be relieved until seven this evening and I
am now writing at the guard house – or rock rather
as our present “guard house’ consists of a rocky
hill pretty well shaded. Pen has just gotten Sister’s
letter and it was a real treat to us as were also
the letters from you, Ma & Lute recd. two or three
days ago. I hope that all of our letters from the C.H.
will come safely now and that ours to you
will also go straight. But it is a sore trial to
me not to be able to get letters from Page –
I have not recd. a line from her since I left home
and fear that she has not gotten one in
ten of my letters. And by some strange careless-
ness Sister’s letter to Page and your’s to
Jimmie (although plainly directed to Kurrill’s shop)
were sent to me the other day with your letters.
We have sent Kit Walthal down for our box
and hope most sincerely that it will come
safely to hand. – We heard yesterday evening a
well authenticated account of a fight near
Romney (9 miles off) in wh[ich] the Ashbys (Dick
& Turner) figured very conspicuously. Dick
Ashby (who has be[The rest of this page on the right side is missing.]
Turner was made
a party of five
were suddenly
U. S. dragoons.
their way throu[gh]
in doing so with
six or seven
self being ver
not dangerously ^‘mortally’
soon after that

[p. 4]
hastily collecting some 15, or 20 of his men
& pursued the enemy, overtook them
(now reinforced to sixty) charged them,
with his men dismounted, put them to
flight, sent back for some more
men and then chased them over the
Potomac and into their lines. He killed
six of them with his own hands and
twenty-seven of them are known to have
been killed while we lost only two men
and several wounded. – You ask about the
Chaplaincy – I am called off on duty now
and must write you about it in my
next. Best love to all. Will write again soon.
Your most aff son
J. Wm. Jones
John has left me this little dirty space in wh.[which] to write –
to some of you. I can scarcely collect my ideas in so short a
space and under the circumstances wh. have been men-
tioned by John. Standing guard rainy nights is different from
sleeping on feather beds and the fact is I had much rather
engage in the last mentioned performance; its all right
however, and I am satisfied. Our boys are getting on tolerably
well. Gum Beadles broke out last night with measles – is not very
sick [Left corner of page is missing.] added to our brigade &
Hill resuming his
have not time to
and dine and get ready
Lute’s letter direct
to her & sister very
Very Affectionately
F. Pendleton Jones

Turner Ashby, 1828-1862, was a relative of the Jones brothers on their mother’s side. Turner’s brother Richard “Dick” Ashby was mortally wounded in the brief skirmish with a Union patrol described above in Pendleton’s letter. In July of 1861 General Joseph E. Johnston appointed Turner Ashby a lieutenant colonel of the 7th Virginia Cavalry. He would play an important role in the upcoming Manassas/Bull Run campaign by screening the movements of the Confederate army.

MSS 13407

1861 June 28 Richmond [Virginia]

Head Quarters, Richmond,

Colonel J. W. Ware
Berryville, Clarke Co
Va
Colonel,
Your communication of the 26th has been received. I regret
to learn that there are no unassigned companies with Gen’l Johnston
with which to form the neucleus of your regiment, and I am sorry
that I know no companies which could be assigned to you.
As regards the regiments being raised by Colonels Edmundson &
Mc Donald, I have no knowledge of their character. I would suggest that
you endeavor to raise companies for your own regiments, for which
you had authority in a previous letter, and by reporting these to
Gen’l Johnston, he will cause them to be mustered into service.

Very Resp’ly
Your obd’t serv’t
R E Lee
Gen’l Comd’g

MSS 6136

1861 June 28 Camp near Winchester

Friday

My dear Pa:-
I intended writing you a long letter
on yesterday but was invited out to dinner
and met with such good cheer that I did not
get back until late yesterday evening. And now I’ll
be able to write only a short letter as I’ve been
on the tramp all the morning and feel now pretty
tired and stupid. We recd. on yesterdays orders to
move our quarters and we marched this morning
to this place – a mile and a half from Winchester
and about seven miles from our other encampment
. Our company and one other in the regiment had
had their Knapsacks to carry and as it was our
first experience at the business it went pretty
hard with us for the first mile or two – we
got used to it, however, and most of us made
out pretty well. Soldiering is not so bad after
you get used to it. Our present camp is
nothing like so pleasant as the one we
have just left and Col. Hill was very much
opposed to the move, but I suppose that
Gen. Johnson wishes to concentrate his forces
so that he may be ready for any emergency.
Our forces here are receiving daily acccess
-ions from the East so that it is hardly
possible that we shall be ordered to Manassas
. Of course we can form no correct idea as
to our next move but things look somewhat
as if we are to be Kept here for some days
at least. It may be that the plan is to con-
centrate a very large force here and move
into Maryland at the same time that

[p. 2]
Beauregard advances on Alexandria -, I have found
myself fortunate in being a friend of Ryland’s
as it has secured me some pleasant visits
and some very nice eating. I believe I have
not written home an account of my visit
to one of his churches last Saturday and
Sunday. I had a very nice visit indeed
-the brethren were very Kind & their eating a
decided improvement on camp fare; and then
it was a real treat to me to spend [a] quiet
sabbath away from the bustle of the camp. I
preached twice to large and attentive con-
gregations and a good brother sent us
to camp in his carriage – so that besides
the pleasant visit we rode about 26 miles
wh[ich] the other boys h[a]d to foot. Our last
camp was near one of Ryland’s churches
and he took me out to dine or sup with
the brethren several times. The best time I’ve
had yet, however, was on yesterday. The day
before I met at camp a young Baptist Bro.
whom I Knew well at the University – he gave
me an introduction to his mother and she
went to “Head-Quarters” and got leave for Ryland
and myself to take dinner at her house
yesterday. Col. Hill and several other officers
were there and we h[a]d a real nice time
of it – the dinner was one of the most elegant
ones I ever sat down to – a gr[ea]t variety of
meats, vegitables &c well served up – ice –
cream & cake and cream and peaches for
desert. You may be sure that I did full
justice to the feast and that beef has

[p. 3]
seemed rather insipid ever since.. Our fare
has not been as good or as abundant
since we left H. Ferry as it was there, but
it has been owing our frequent moves and
we will doubtless fare better in future.
Our mess, however, under Kit Walthal’s effi-
cient management has fared sumptuously
on milk, butter, molasses &c albeit it has cost
rather more than we shall be able to afford
in future. –

[letter stops at this point and will pick up on the 29th]

MSS 13407

1861 June 27 Leesburg, Va.

Camp Caroline

My Dear Creek

I again take opportunity of letting
you know how I am getting along, my health has
never been better in my llife than it is at present
and we are all getting along better than we ex-
pected to do, the weather has been very fine since
we have been in camp, and the people of this
place are the kindest in the world, the country
people come to camp every day and bring us
loads of milk, Butter, eggs, chickens and the
like and very few of them will take any pay
for them, they say we have come all the way from
Carolina to fight for themand we shall not
want for any thing they have as long as we stay
among them, the Ladies come among us every day
asking if we have no sewing or washing that
they can do for us, indeed every one here looks
upon us as their deliverers from Yankee tyranny and
are very gratefull, The Carolina Boys occupies

[page 2]
a proud position in Virginia, and I never saw
as large a body of men behave themselves better
every man seems determined to do his duty,
Dear Creek you dont know I am wearying to hear from
you I have not heard from you since Isham was
at Columbia, I know that you cannot help it
but do write me as often as often as possible and
I will certainly write you every time I have an oppor-
tunity, as we have now got a triweekly mail established
now, you may look for a letter from me every other day
if it is only a few lines, I know you will be anxious to
hear from me and I shall not disapoint you any more
about writing but be a faithful correspondant–
I wrote you the day before yesterday, which I hope you
received all right–I am looking for one from you
tomorrow. I hope I may get it, it is night I am
sitting by myself in my tent writing on my knee.
what would I not give to have Dear little Maggie sitting
on it instead and you on the empty camp stool by my side
I could nurse you both all night now if I only had an
opportunity of doing so. Kiss the little darling for me
and take this for yours from you affectionate Husband
William
P.S. The enemy have been very quiet since our
Regiment came here they wont show themselves

[on top of page 1]
William and James are both well, John Harrison
has just accidently shot himself, in the left side of
the abdomen by his pistol falling out of his pocket and
discharging. Cooly thinks he is
not mortally wounded. I have
not seen him myself

Letter of William Anderson of the 4th Regiment S.C. Volunteers to Lucretia McFall AndersonMSS 10366

1861 June 27 near Winchester [Virginia]

Camp Gibbens’ Thursday

My darling Wife:
I have left the busy din of the
camp and retired to a shady grove for the
purpose of holding sweet communion with
my absent loved one. Wd that I cd use my
living tongue instead of being compelled
to resort to the “tongue of the absent” to
pour forth to you the feelings of my heart.
A large budget of letters came for our
Co. yesterday and their distribution
was assigned me – with eager eye I ran
over the addresses and it gave me
little joy to find several for me
since your well known hand
was missing. I turned with sad heart
to open letters from home and was
delighted to find enclosed two letters from
you to the loved ones at home – I need
not assure you that they were the
first to be read and although not
addressed to me they were a real
treat. They reveal what I had feared
was the secret of your ^ ‘my’ not getting
letters from you – my letters to you
have not reached their destination
and you were in ignorance as to
my whereabouts. This is cruel, and if
I had my way I wd remove every
mail agent between here and Nelson.
I have written you at least a dozen
letters and it seems you have gotten only
two. I directed most of my letters to Rock

[page 2]
Fish – as we agreed wd be best – some to Mrs JWm Jones
and some to Mrs Page Helm Jones, and it is possible
that they may be in the office there. Yesterday’s
mail also brought me a letter from Sister to
you wh[ich] was plainly directed to Kurriee’s shop
and was sent on here by the negligence
of some careless official. – I was deeply pained
to see from your letters that you had allow-
ed yrself to become very uneasy about me –
Now, please, Dearest, for my sake as well
as your own try and bear the separation
better. It is indeed a sore trial for us
thus to be separated from each other,
and especially as our letters go so ir-
regularly, but it is our duty and you know
that when we resolved to go “far hence
to the heathen” we made up our minds
not to count trials when they beset
the path of duty. Let us try and exercise
a strong faith in the God of prayer
that He will watch between us and
preserve us. Remember that if God so
wills it (and He hears prayer) I am as
safe in the camp or on the battle
field as within the quiet shades of
[Oa]kley[?]. Thus far I have stood it about
as well as any of the men and of
course I will be able to stand more
as I become hardened to this mode
of life. – I gave you in my letter from
this place day before yesterday a full
account of our march from Romney,
my visit to one of Ryland’s churches,
&c &c. Since then nothing of special inter-
est has occurred. There are no signs
at present of our being moved from
this camp any time soon and we are
making ourselves as comfortable as we can

[page 3]
besi[des] drilling about four hours every [edge cut off]
an[d] attending strictly to camp duties. [ “ “ “ ]
that I am peculiarly fortunate in fal[ling] [ “ “ “ ]
in with Ryland – we are again in [the] [ “ “ “ ]
neighborhood of one of his churches a[nd] [ “ “ “ ]
he has introduced me to a number
of brethren who have insisted upon
my taking meals at their houses – in-
vitations wh[ich] I have not been slow to
accept. The result is that I escape Camp
fare quite frequently. Yesterday evening
I met with an old college mate of
mine – Robt. K. Carter now an M.D. – who lives only
two miles from here. He introduced me
to his mother and they both insisted
upon my going home with them – as I
cd not go yesterday evening they
insisted upon my going to dinner to-
day and upon my telling them that I
had a da[-] that wd conflict, Mrs.
C. rode off to “Head-quarters” and got a
leave of absence for Ryland and myself
so I am fixing myself for a nice
dinner today and have made up my
mind to eat “several”. By the way I expect
that the Carters are relatives of yours –
shall ask them today. On tomorrow
I shall dine at Col. Glass’ – a very
nice gentleman to whom Ryland
introduced me. So you must not
think of me as a poor soldier – mar-
ching over dusty roads and living
on bread and water – but rather as a fat,
sleek individual lolling on the grass
in a beautiful grove, eating fried chick-
-en, bread & butter, and molasses ^‘drinking butter milk,’ and occasion-
-ally going out to get something extra[.]
My namesake, bro. Jno. Wm. Jones, came out to

[page 4]
[edge cut off] on yesterday and had a very [part torn off]
[ “ “ “ ] from him. He told me a good dea[l] of
[ “ “ “ ] Mary – seems to have a very exalted
[opini]on of them both. Told me that if my
[wife] was anything like Mary she was a
jewel. I told him that she was even more
than a jewel. He said that every thing is
now quiet about Charlestown, – no Federal
troops this side of the Potomac – not even
at H. Ferry – but our troops are advancing
into Maryland. It is nearly time for our
10 ½ O’clock drill and I must therefore close –
– I am not able to write as long
letters as I cd wish but will continue
to write three or four times a week.
Please you do the same and when you
write tell me everything. Continue to direct
to Winchester Care Capt. Murray “Company D.”
13th Va, Regt, I need not say how deeply
I regretted not seeing bro. Wm. Land Kettie[?]
before they left. Never mind I’ll take
you to Kiss. to see them before we leave
for China. Send me Grandma’s address –
I want to write to her – Best love to
all and beg them to write to me.
Yr most devoted
John

The third of the three Jones brothers serving in the Confederate Army (see Edloe’s and Pendleton’s letters below) University of Virginia alumnus John William served as chaplain of the 13th Virginia Regiment and was later noted for his book Christ in the Camp. He refers briefly to Dr. Robert K. Carter, a fellow UVA alumnus.
MSS 13407

1861 June 27

I was prevented from conclu-
ding my letter last night
by taps, and this morning I
hasten to bring it to a close.
The Picket last night
captured five prisoners

[page 8]
three Dutchmen, a Negro man,
and a boy. Their case
has not yet been examined,
and I am not aware of the
Suspicion which caused
their arrest. There is
nothing new to day. The
weather is dry, and sultry,
and we are very much
in need of a refreshing
rain.

Continuation of the letter of John Warwick Daniel
MSS 158

1861 June 26 Martinsburg [Virginia]

My Dear Father:
Your letter of
the 21st directed to the care of Dr.
A.S. Baldwin at Winchester was
handed me by a soldier this evening
saying that it had been given him
by a gentleman on the roadside,
and I immediately reply altho’ I
suppose you have seen letters of
a much more recent date from
me. I am most happy to learn
of the success of the harvest, and
of the satisfactory result of
the crop. The Wheat in this
Section is also unusually
fine, but the corn, and
oats very inferior.

[page 2]
No farther development of
the plans of the Campaign
has transpired since my last
letter, and we have little
indication of what they
will be. We have at
this encampment 4,000
Virginia Troops under Cols.
Allen, Harper, Preston, and
Gordon & Stuart of the
Cavalry. We are assiduously
Engaged in practicing the
drill, and the Commander
Is strict in requiring
attendance at the Camp, and
adherence to Military discip-
line. Very little is generally
known of the position of the
Enemy, or his force. It is
however reported that there
is a Camp of Instruction

[page 3]
at Sheperherdstown, and that
the force there is regularly
Employed in the Construction
of Ferry boats, evidently
intended for the conveyance
of troops across the Potomac,
or to Establish that impression
on our officers.
Occasionally a federal scout
or spy is captured by our
pickets. Two in charge of
an Escort of Cavalry passed
by us yesterday en route to
Winchester, and this evening
a deserter from the Lincoln
Army was arrested and carried
before Col. Jackson for
Examination. I have not
heard what information was
elicited, nor any farther par-
ticular of the transaction.
[page 4]
The health of our regiment is
at present very unsatisfactory,
there being out of some 700
(at most) men the large number
of 120 on the sick list. Our Com-
pany is numerously represented.
Measles is generally the malady,
but there are frequent cases of
cold, and general debility contrac-
ted by the unaccustomed expo-
sure to which we are subjected.
As for myself “I hold my own”, and
few, if any stand better the fatigue
and privations which of course
every soldier must endure.
While at Winchester I
availed myself of a short
respite from duty to visit Dr.
Stuart Baldwin, & family, and
was received with great cordial-
Ity. Uncle S. spoke frequently,
and very affectionately of you, and
expressed a desire to see you if possible.
A visit to him ^ ‘from you’ I have no
doubt would be exceedingly gratifying.

[page 5]
Uncle S. is a very venerable
looking man, with white locks,
but with indication of health,
on his Countenance. He is appar-
ently firm and hearty.
Rumors which continually
occur in the camp, are today
afloat that Beauregard had
stormed, and taken Arlington
heights with the loss of 1300
the enemy. If this be so
I suppose that the Capitol
has been assaulted, and so [?]
this the great, and momen-
tous struggle which has so long
been delayed has ^ ‘been’ decided. the
I am glad to learn
that they are well at
home, and that little Jno.

[page 6]
Is growing, and improving rapidly.
He is a fine promising
child, and unless spoilt will
grow to a useful man.
I am sorry that you
have been unable to
hear of the whereabouts
of Aunt Elvira. I think
it highly probable that
on account of the dangerous
situation of their home,
the whole family have
retired to the residence of
Mr. Eliets’ mother in Penn-
Sylvania. Grandmama was speaking
of sending me a box when
I last heard from her
enclosing some articles which
I needed, and also some
Eatables.

[page 7]
I requested that it should
be sent to Dr. Baldwin’s
at Winchester deeming that
the most certain method
of securing it.
It is expected of me as an officer
to provide my own table, and as
this is very inconvenient
under such circumstances as
I am placed I should like
to get as large a supply of
Eatables – such as bacon, biscuits &c
as can be conveniently
sent.

[Daniel’s letter stops abruptly here and will continue on the 27th]