[from the diary of Eugene M. Cox of the Albemarle Border Guards]

9 P.M. Still snowing some–all of us have moved into our huts–nothing new–

MSS 38-221

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton of the 23rd Ohio]

No Dress parade: practiced
wrote letter Home
Received letters from home
and from Aunty Hays
Alex went to Gauley this
morning commenced snowing this
evening cold cloudy

MSS 10317

My dear wife [Olivia Alexander Page]

I recd your letter which was mailed in Lynch
burg Sunday (21st) postmarked 22d, yesterday, and
I thank and bless you for it, Whenever I
receive a letter from you my first feeling
is of gratefulness that all is well with you
and our little ones, I bless you for this letter
because it speaks to me of your warm and un=
reserved affections for me, and wherever I may be or
whatever my lot, I can be satisfied so long as I know
that you love me and want you to love me, and
whatever hardships I may be called upon to endure
I can be content if I have the assurance that you
are loving me and caring for me all the time,
but without this my darling I can never be satis=
fied under any circumstances, all the pomps and
the honors that this world can afford would
be of no value to me without you, remember
this and know that though all the world might
forsake you there is one who is nearer to you than
any brother, whose heart will always be warn
with true and pure affection for you until it
grows cold in death, you must not expect me to
write you any copper plate letters, indeed I shall be
satisfied if you can manage to read them, I have
to write and I can, sometimes sitting in the cold, and
sometimes as I am now, lying in bed, which is
an awkward business at best, and especially when
it is cold enough to freeze you almost when you put
your arms and shoulders outside the blankets

[letter of Edwin R. Page to Olivia Alexander Page continues on the next day]
I wrote this much my darling last night and had
to postpone the balance of my letter until this morning

[page 2]
I believe I shall have to follow your plan and write you
some every day, I am very badly fixed for writing now,
but will be better off shortly, I have ordered a small
stove which I intend to put in my tent as soon as we are
settled for the winter, which will make it much
more comfortable, and then I can write with much
greater convenience, they have been talking for
the last few days of sending us up to Waterford to
take the place of the Loudoun Cavalry which has
been stationed there for sometime, and which has been
ordered to Centreville, but I hope we will not have to go,
the chief objection I have to going up there is that is
is such an out of the way place I could not hear from
you as soon and as regularly as I can here, I have been
talking with Col, Munford about it and he wishes to
keep us here, he asked me to go into town this mor=
ning and see the Gen. about it, which I have done
he says that the Col. may keep us here for the
present, and he told me privately and unofficially
that it was his purpose, after a while to move his
Head Quarters down to Mrs Carters, and wished
to carry a cavalry company with him, to spend the
winter, he said he could pick out a good place for us there
where we might be more comfortable perhaps than
we would be here, I would like to winter somewhere
where you can come to see me before spring if I can’t
come to you, and that is one important reason
with me for desiring to remain close to Leesburg,
I suppose however you might come to Mrs Carter’s,
I dont see how I can live so long a time without
seeing you, it would be almost death to me to be
away from you until next June, I don’t like to
think about it, the Genl. was talking about his
socks to day , he makes the greatest fuss imaginable

[page 3]
about them, he says they are worth $3 a pair. I
haven’t seen his wife yet, the tale about his having
a horse race with Jno. Alexander is ridiculous,
there is no foundation for it whatever, he has no
time or opportunity for such sport, if he were so dis=
posed, and if he had, his sense of propriety would
forbid it.–I am very glad my darling you have
got a carriage to to suit you, I should have bought
one for you myself if I had had an opportunity. I am
very much afraid of being in debt as you are, but I
want you to have every thing you want that our
means will afford. I can send you $100, perhaps
$200, I could have spared you more than that
but you know I had to borrow $400 from the Bank
for rent, and I shall have to pay that in four months,
If I can make it out, I hope Tom Cobbs and his wife
will stay with you this winter at least, if not
all the year, I should be much better satisfied
if I know you had some one with you that you
liked, you are fight about not selling the wheat
just now, I think it will necessarily be higher
among other reasons for it is that the Southern
and southwestern states which have usually
drawn their supplies of breadstuff, from the
North Western States, must now get a large portion
of them from us, how are you getting on with
your corn, and how is it turning out, don’t let
them put it in the house until it is thoroughly
dry, have you commenced ploughing for
corn yet? let me know if you will get your
salt and what it will cost, I understand it
can be bought in Lynchburg at McDaniel &
Irby’s now at something like a reasonable
price, John Alexander and William Graham

[page 4]
will both be at home I suppose before you receive
this, if John brings a box from home with him and
has room for ti I should like to have my gown, it is
warm and i think will be a convenience to me in
cold weather, it will be a good thing to sleep on , I
can do without it but you might send it if you can
do so without any inconvenience, I am glad you
are going to see Mrs. Goggin, I would like for you
to visit her often, and hope you will be able to
persuade them to go and stay with you some,
there is one thing I want you to do, and that is to be
particular and not get your feet wet when you go
out this winter, you know it always makes you
sick, remember this, and whenever you are disposed
to go in the wet just consider that I am looking at you
and scolding you about it, it is somewhat strange
but I have never received a newspaper yet, you
need not be uneasy about me my darling, I will try
and take good care of myself for your sake, I shall
get along very well I hope. I can’t say that Camp life
in the winter is at all pleasant, but if I could only
see you and my children just once in a while I should
not think so hard of it, I believe I have forgotten
to tell you that our friend Mrs Ball is in Fauquier
at her father’s, I went into town yesterday and in-
tended to have gone to church, but staid some time
at the Hospital with one of our men who is very ill
and did not get to the church, until near the close of the
services, I am very much afraid the poof fellow will
die, his name is Epperson[?], I have written to his wife and his
father, and also to Joe Epperson about him. tell little Monie
I am tired waiting for her little letter, why don’t Mary Mann
write to me, kiss all of them for me, and now my own dear
girl, I must say good bye to you once more, I would to God
I might never leave it to say to you God speed the time when we

[in top margin of page one]
may be together again
if I could be always
by your side my
own wife & could be
always happy, I can
endure anything better
than being sepa=
rated from you–
God bless you
your truly devoted
husband
E.R. Page

Dr. Clark asks
to be remembered
to you

Edwin R. Page, 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Virginia Cavalry

MSS 8937

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F of the 25th Massachusetts]

Slept but little last night. Sat
round the fire near the guard
tents, most of the time when not on duty
Had a good chat with Frank Ware
who came and spoke to me. This afternoon
attended an excellent service by Mr James
at two o’clock. lay down and slept some
this evening. Ed Brown came in to see me
a few minutes this afternoon

MSS 11293

[from the diary of Eugene M. Cox of the Albemarle Border Guards]

9 P.M. Worked all day today on our huts and it has been snowing continually and is snowing yet. Some of us moved into our huts this evening.

MSS 38-221

[from the diary of Francis G. Hale of the 34th Ohio Zouaves]

It is snowing like
everything this morning
and looks like we would
have a big snow of it
will only stay on a while
we will have lots of fun
the boys are snowing
one another like every
thing it snowed till
night but it melted
a goodele and did not
get deepe it is only a
few inches deepe in places
and lots of places there is
none it is very bad under
foot the boys ar talking
a bout winter quarters
they do not know
where we will go to

MSS 13405

Dear Father I have just finished A letter for George & as I have got nothing else to do I thought I would set down & write to you & let you know that I am well & never was better in my life, & will try to answer some of the questions that you write in your last letter you wondered how some of the seventh of Maine came over they do keep pretty strict over there only allowing two passes A day to a Company, & I saw some of the Friends of mind in the Massachusetts regiments Charley Floyd is the name of one of them you say that I do not make any complaint about clothing I have no reason to make any because we are well clothed we have Plenty of wood & use it anyway we want to most of the Boys have stoves in thier tents which cost Four dollars & A halfe, the day was Pleasant, General McLellan review was about Just the last part of it it begun to sprinkle I wish you had been here that day when he passed the different Camp Grounds & heard the Cheering of the different Regiments, I hope this will find you all as well as I am From you son Joseph Leavitt. I am willing that you should write what you think is right but I can guess ho[w?] that was that said I wonder what our Jo does with his money it sounds Just like Mother & I want you to tell her that I put it at good use & will try & send her Five dollars the next Pay day which in all will be fifteen dollars answer it soon.

Letters from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865 “because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid.” Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864.

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]

no Dress parade
Did nothing to day
snowed all day still
snowing quite hard
meeting in our room tonight
to pass resolution on the death
of Seaman

[the following letter was written by Templeton on the 24th of November]

Camp Union in Fayetteville, Va.

Dear Parents
It is sabbath
morning not the Sabbath
of Home but a Camp Sabbath
around me are the Boys some
reading some writing others
singing. We have a very
comfortable house to stay in
we occupy two rooms one
with a large fireplace
as a kitchen the other with
a coal-grate as a sitting room
we sleep up stairs
I wrote to you a few days
since quite hastily shall
now write a little more
particularly. The morning we
left Camp Ewing we were
called out quite early and
and ordered to prepare rations

[page 2]
for two days soon after
daylight we were on the
way. The road from here
I mean from Camp Ewing to
the Gauley is very interesting
The scenery is the wildest
and most picturesque I have
ever seen a short distance
below Camp is Hawks Nest a
perpendiculier ledge of rocks
said to be 1100 ft high
it is indeed a wild spot
standing on that terrible
precipice with the dull
roar of the water far below
as it finds its way among
the huge rocks that fill
its chanel, some five miles
farther is the Head Quarters
of Rosecrans, on the Farm of
Col. Tompkins (now in the Rebel
army)This is the best improved
Farm I have seen in the state

[page 3]
it is beautifully situated three
miles above Gauley overlooking
the junction of the rivers
The road now descends quite
rapidly to the river. flanked
on the upper side by ledges
of rocks several hundreds of
ft high and here and there
through some steep ravines
are seen beautiful waterfalls
After crossing the river and
marching some five miles
we camped for the night n
a deep ravine. We here
found three stacks of wheat
which were speedily demolished
I managed to secure several
sheaves with which I made
a comfor[t]able bed in the
corner of a fence. something
similar to a pigs nest
I then prepared my supper
perhaps you would like the

[page 4]
Bill of fare. a cup of coffe
(I always cary a small parcel
of Coffe in my Haversack) and
one or two hard crackers
Our Haversacks are large pockets
made of drilling wh[i]ch we cary
over our shoulders mine is a
rebel one which I picked up
on the battle ground at Gauley
monday morning.

We have now been in
the place over a week
did not receive our knapsacks
and cooking utensils until Friday
last. This place is about as
large as Savanah there are
some very fine houses all
of which are filled with
soldiers. Out buildings and
fences are torn down for
fuel and for boards with
which to make bunks to
sleep in. I have just seen

[page 5]
some of the money which
was paid to the Rebel troops
it is engraved on the poorest
quality of paper and is
payable in Two years

We will probably know
in a few days Whether we
will remain here all
winter or not

I have just been handed two
letters one from you and
one from Aunty Hays
you ask me if I need
another pair of Boots. I can
get shoes but they are not
very good and although
my old boots ar good yet
they are not large enough
I would like very much
if I had a pair of military
Boots with high wide legs

[page 6]
so that I can wear my
pants inside and very
heavy soles. I saw a pair
this morning that pleased
me they extend up to
the knees, do not send
any unless you have a
good opportunity.

Tell mother she may send
me a pair of socks if she
can the kind[?] we get here
are partly coton and do
not last long.

I have not fallen away
much since I came into the
service I was weighed a
few days since weighed
172 lbs my weight used to
be about 175. The boys are
constantly teasing[?] me
about my eating so much

Write soon and often
Yours truly J.D. Templeton

[upside down on top margin of page 5]
Tell Tome that I want him to
write and Eliz The Boys are generaly
well Bill Creps is well. Fred dont seem

[down left margin of page 5]
to be very well do not know what is the matter with him seems

[across bottom margin of page 5]
to have the Blues.

MSS 10317

My dear John

I have received, after some delay by mail
your very satisfactory letter of the 16th–I received at the
same time one from you Mother of about the same
date in which she requested me to write to meet
her in Richmond about this time–which I have done
by the last mail–I also heard of your going to
Richmond with your sisters–I hope this will meet you
on your return—

I appreciated your solicitude about me–and know how
the hearts of all must be tried at home by our long and
cruel separation–But these are times in which we
must make up our minds to bear bravely the severe
trials we are called upon to endure–and may God help
us to do so! So far, however, I have not actually suffered
in camp–and am doubtless now comfortable than
many– one thing however these unhappy times should
teach all–that there is no earthly [?] as hope that
may not fail us–and that a prayerful trust in
God is the only unfailing stay & support of the immortal

[page 2]
spirit under whatever costly trials & misfortunes–
and may we all my dear John seek and find that
support which will serve us in the present con=
test and strengthen our hopes of final triumph over
enemies in the cause of all that is near and dear
to the human heart!

In regard matters of business–The same list of
property given to the County Commissioners of the Revenue
had better be made the basis of the list to be
tendered to the Confederate Commissioners–If there
are any subjects or articles of taxation not in the first
list-You can obtain them from such lists of property
as we have–I think it would be well to advise
with Mr Finny & to get Ed Carrington to aid yo
in making out the list of property–so as not to
fail to tender it by the time required by law–

I will mention that the Packer[?] debt has been reduced
to $35000.00 by payments made. That a bond of some
$3500 of N.F. Cabell “is out of date” & therefore of no legal
obligation–should not therefore be estimated as property–
as it has been in fact partially given up by allowing it

[page 3]
to get out of date without renewall or security–

I have written to Thos S. Deane (Deane & S Jones)to
aid you in procuring a supply of salt sufficient to salt
the pork upon the two places & if possible to avoid the
extortionate prices charged–I see that in Lynchburg
some parties advertise to [?] it at $350 per sack
and I have requested Deane & S Jones to assist you
in procuring either from Lynchburg or [?] [?]
quantity of salt you may find will be necessary to
avoid the loss of our pork–& [?] the best terms
they can procure it–It is possible too you may pur-
chase it yourself upon better terms than any one can as well
for you— Mr. Deane advises that the tobacco be
kept on the plantation for the present–which had
better be done—-

Tell Mr Talbott that he should endeavour to sell as
much corn- hay-&c as possible–by sending the same to Rich-
mond–as the prices there may justify-

Keep an eye yourself upon the [?] accounts and
receive all cash from time to time paid into the [?]
and pay it over to your mother—

[page 4]
These and all other things you will have to look after–
Keep the mechanics employed quarrying stone–getting [?]
building &c &c–just as you may direct–either on your
place or Belmead–

Write to me fully and often and tell me all about
the dear ones at home I ask that the girls will also
write [?] I may not be able to reply regularly to
all their letters–With love to all–I remain my
dear John
Yr affectionate father
Philip St Geo Cocke

Sterling & Tyler are well– My regards to the servants.

MSS 640
[to be continued]

My Dear Creek

We have again returned from Picket, after
a cold but otherwise very pleasant trip, as we had the luck
to have dry weather this time, everything is quiet on the
out posts yet not a sign of the enemy anywhere this side
off falls Church where their advanced camp is. Our
Cavalry within half a mile of their camp the other day
and came on a party of them killing 6 wounding two and
bringing off ten prisoners this was a very daring act–as they
were right in sight of their Camp when they did it, but
the cavalry were from Missippa and are not easily scared.

While on Picket I Received you kind letter of the 14th, and on
my arrival at Camp one of the 18th. I am happy to hear that
you are well and that Maggie is herself again. the report
you heard of our Regt coming home is not true at least
there is no such report here, but on the contrary Beauregard
says posatively that he cant let any of the troops leave this
place at present, I think the woman down the contry are
too easily frightened to be runing away from home so soon
I dont think the Yankees will ever get any further into
the State than they are not and you have not anything to
fear about Anderson. I dont think you have anything to dead
from the low contry negroes coming up they will need most of

[page 2]them on the coast for building fortifications but should time
get so you are afraid to stay, I would advise you to take the things
out of the house and move to Mas and stay with her till I
get back this would be a good deal of trouble but you had much
better do than live in constant dread as that is a miserable
condition for anyone to live in, but perhaps you may get
Jim or Jink to stay with you if they are not engaged in
anything. I am sorry to hear that Papa is going of. I think he
is getting to old to stand the fatigue of camp life and their is
surely young men enough without old men like him going
and then you know he is troubled with Rheumatic pains
and camp is the worst place in the world for him I
think he had better camp this winter with Betsy.

I am very sorry to hear of Johanis misfortune. I heard of it in
a letter from Caroline to William but she did not give any
particulars, only that she expected everything would have to
be sold; let me know something more of it in you next as
we are both anxious to know the straight of it.

You will do right in sending my other pants by Stephen
as on pair is all I have and when I get wet have nothing
of my own to change with, I have socks enough to do me
two years, or more, I have not had on the first pair of the
ones you sent me yet, you know I got three or for pairs
of fine new yarn socks from the Yankees after the Battle.
I found them in a Box that had a great many in it, none
of which had ever been worn so we all helped ourselves to them,
and they are very comfortable and warm for us ow.
it is strange that you dont get my letters more regular. I get

[page 3]
most of yours very regularly now I sent you one by hand some
time since it may be it that has been delayed. I hope you have
got some by this time as there is several on the way somewhere.
Tell Billy smith Gambriell is here and quite well again he
is very anxious to hear of his little sister whether she is well
again or not he has not heard anything from home since the
letter he got in my box Andy Wardlaw is also quite well.
Tell Squire Wardlaw that his nephew James Wardlaw died
at Culpdper C. H. about ten days ago, we are all sorry about his
death he was a fine young man and much esteemed by his
fellow soldiers. William is still at Manassas Junction but
is well again will be back to camp tomorrow I hear from him
every day by John Harrison who goes after the mail
it is very cold tonight and snowing a little I think we
will have a pretty heavy fall before morning. the mountains
which we can see very plainly form here are all white things
generally look very much like winter and we all wish we
were at home with our wives and families instead of sleeping
in cold tents, we have a pretty good supply of Blankets
however, and plenty of wood, and we manage in that way
to make ourselves very comfortable, their is nothing new
transpiring in Camp at present, the health of our Regt. is generally
good, except colds &c. which cannot well be avoided when
men will not take proper care of themselves, give my kindest
regards to all of the family. Jink is a long time in answer
ing my letter. Kiss Dear little Maggie for me (oh how I
wish I could do so myself) and reserve my warmest affection
for yourself.

William

[page 4]

You will find enclosed a map of the wanderings
of our Regt since we came to Virginia drawn by Col
Billy Major and sent with his kindest Regards
to Jimmee the wanderings of the Regt. are marked
by the red dot[t]ed line, runing through the map Jim[?]
will know where to commence and follow us up
to our nearest position.

William Anderson, Captain Co. J, 4th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers (Palmetto Sharpshooters)