My Dearest Ma,
I am now seated in
the pulpit right by Cit to begin a letter to you, though I’ve
nothing much to write about. Bro. John & the others arrived
safely yesterday. I was very glad to see Bro. John & Cit
and will also be delighted to meet Pen next Tuesday. All of us
got very wet coming from the depot yesterday. Bro. John has
his Bunk in the gal[l]ery & Cit is in the pulpit with a[?] place
reserved for Pen, it is a very nice place for Pen & Cit. They
seem to like very well & to be perfectly at home. I sat off wher^’e’
I could see Bro. John, thinking I would have some fun lookin^’g’
at him taking his first meal, but was disappointed for he
dined on bread and beef without even frowning, Cit made out
equal[l]y as well. The recruits took their first lesson at drilling
this morning. Bro. John made out tolerable well, but found [word lined out]
some dif[f]iculty in keeping the stepes. All of our recruits will
make very good soldiers & we were very glad to have them:
Cap. said he thought ^’Bro. John’ could get Bro. John the situation of Chaplain in our Regiment and if he did not get it he would
appoint him chaplain to our company, so he will be exempt from
guard duty &C. The two Wills were ^’down’ to see Bro Jno. yesterday
evening, Will Rupel told Bro. John that he pitied the man’s heels
that he walked behind. The baggage did not get here until to
day, it was left at Winchester with one of the men, we’ve not
brought it from the depot yet

[page 2]
I have not heard anything a sermon to day or anything of the sort,
have been in ^’at’ my quarters most all day, I reckon Bro. John would
have preached for us today but he has been too busy, he had prayer
last night. I reckon it looks right strange to Bro. John to see so
much drilling &C. on Sunday, it looked very strange to me at first,
but I’ve become used to it now. If ^’I’ did not hear the drum
every day & drill some myself or see it going on, I would not feel
at home at all. I am get[t]ing very tired of hearing “Drill”. I hear it
played about a dozen times a day more or less…A Regimement of
Georgians came in to day, numbering between eight hundred and a
thousand. Two or three Mississippi regiments moved their Camp
yesterday ^’about a mile’ in the direction of Shepherd’s town. It would not
sur-
prise us to receive marching orders at any time. If we are ordered away
we will not know to what point until we get there. We do n’t know
what is going on here, whether an attack is expected or not, as
everything is kept in secret. I do n’t believe myself that we are
going to have a fight here directly, but if we do I will try to do
my duty & ^’to’ kill at lea one of the rascals at least if no more.
We are very well prepared now for a march, only if all of our
men were only, we have camp kettles & the most of the things necessa-
ry for a march. All of the recruits got minnie muskets yesterday
and are now thoroughly equipped for the war. It is now most
time for dress parade so I must close for the present. We are very well.
Cit writes with me in love to all of you & says tell Mrs. Gooch
he is perfectly satisfied & is better than he was before he left
home, I will take good care of him. I must now bid you adieu.
Your devoted & most aff. son
P. E. Jones

[page 3]
P. S.
I will now finish my letter as it is not bed time
yet. I have just finished supper, Bro. John made out very well.
Cousine Will Ashby was here a little while ago to see us, he says
Sister must write to him, he belongs to the Culpepper Minute Men.
Cap. Crittenden, he sends love to all of you.
My dear Ma, you must not make yourself uneasy about
us, you know it is our duty as Virginians to be here to
defend our rights, you ought to ^’be’ and I know you are will=
ing for us to be here. We are engaged in a noble and Just cause
and God will grant us aid us on to the victory which we
will gain as sure as we fight… I am as well satisfied now
as if I was at home, I have so many of my very best friends
here. I reckon I will go home if I get a leave of absence,
in about three weeks ^ ‘or a month’, provided nothing happens to prevent
it. What do you & Pa think of my coming? Of course I would
like very much to see you all, but I could do very well with
out going, however my turn for going home is too long off
to talk about…I’ve taken Pen’s place to night in the pulpit
with Cit, it is a first rate place. It is now bed time, I believe
every body had gone to bed but Cit & myself, so I must
bid you good night. Our s^‘i’ck ones are all better.
You must write again very soon
Monday morning to your devoted son
We are very well this morning. P. Edloe Jones
Everything is very quiet. & calm. I will write aga[i]n soon.
Ed
my love to Nancy & co.

John William Jones,1836-1909, a Baptists minister, later wrote the book Christ in the camp, or, Religion in Lee’s army

[“Minie bullet… designed by Fr. Army Captain Minie used with a muzzle-loading rifle. When the piece was fired, expanding gas entered the bullet’s hollow base and forced its outer side into the rifling of the barrel. The bullet appeared in 1849…greatly improving accuracy, range, and rate of small arms fire.” Boatner, Mark. Civil War Dictionary. N.Y.. McKay, 1959.]

MSS 13407

Hd Qrs Camp Jefferson
Col P St Geo Cocke
Dear Col

You will see by the enclosed
orders that Col Moore had made a requisition for
me and I am to report to Genl Beauregard imme=
=diately, I start in the morning and leave with
this the papers enclosed to me today, I send
you the dates of Commission of the officers who
have them, and the remarks in full about the
others, Capt Taylors company being the only
one not in commission, and I send enclosed
I send certificates together with a letter written
to Genl Richardson this morning before receiving your
letter, by which you will see I had forwarded the
certificates to hm on the very day they were mustered,
I enclose Capt Rreas certificate for Lieut Ralls
election, (one of which he says he forwarded some time
ago to Adt Genl) Lieut Dettor of his company, the
election was superintended by Lt Co John H Barksdale
of the 47th Reg Militia, he says he sent certificate down
but no commission has been received,
Genl Richardson sent me a Roster of officers a short
time ago in which he had the name of Capt
John A Rea as commissioned, but in his remarks
on your letter Capt Ellis was the only one he
seems to have registered–on the other piece of paer
I give you the names and date of commissions

[page 2]
held by the respective officers, and a memorandum
of those who have none, hoping you may be
enabled to understand by my explanations
I remain Your Most Obt Servt
Wm H Fry
Lt Col Volls

I need a letter from Gen Jno B Baldwin stating
that he had received all of my Muster Rolls
except that of Capt Ellis, which I sent to your
HdQrs, (I sent him returns of each company as
I did you 7 in all)

Miss Mary L. Parrish
Dear Sister–To day I seat
myself for the purpose of writing you a few lines.
I hope this will be answered, I say in the
first place, as I have writen three letters to
you since I received your only one the last
letter I wrote you I inclosed therein a large
plain ring–which if you received I want
you to keep for your Brothers sake, even unto
death–It is very doubtful whether I shall return
to you all again, the possition occupied by
our Company is a perilous one and few will
escape with life should we have a regular
battle which we have been expecting ever
since we have been here in fact we may
have to fight this evening or to-night or
tomorrow–or may be not in a month from
this time–The enimy is not more than
ten miles from us numbering from ten to

[page 2]
twelve thousand, I joined Peytons Artilery
at the Baptist college in Richmond and
march from thence to this place (Yorktown)–
we have a battery upon the brink of
the York River of four large canon–the
enimies blockading vesel lies off our battery
some eight miles in plain view but beyond
the reach of our guns–I have repented over
and often joining this company and most
of the men in it would like very much
to be out of it and in some other, as for
myself I can do my country as good service
here as anywhere, but my objections to this
company are such that I can^’not’ give you
in a letter as all letters are read that
goes out of our camp–I would be useless
for me to undertake to give you any idia of
a soldiers life–none knows untill they know
by experience. Our lot is hard. I had never
thought that men could live upon such a

[page 3]
diet as ^’is’ given us–it is one thing all the
time middling bacon and leather hoe
cakes and that allowed by scanty measure
I would not touch it if I could only get
anything else–I wish often for a piece
of Corn bread, we are always employed
rain or shine the exposure is very
great. We have in our whole camp
about 6000 soldiers. the company I am
in has about sixty, the enimy we think
will march against us I think from 12
to 15 thousand, but will not conquer even
with all this odds–
I wish you would give Miss Eliza my love
and ask her why she has not answered
those two letters I wrote since I received
one from her, tell her though Miles be
between us my heart is still where it was
when I was in her presence, and hope
she has not forgotten me a “poor soldier boy”

[page 4]
Tell her to tell Billy that fair play is
a jewel, and not to take advantage of my
absence–as he was a head when I comme
=nced. I must now conclude my letter by
wishing you all joy through this veil of tears
Give to Mother an affectionate son’s love
and my respects to all enquiring friends
Farewell Your affectionate bro
Joseph W. Parrish
PS
Tell Kiah and Sister Martha to write
for I ^’would’ be very glad to hear from them–
it would be a source of the greatest
pleasure to me to hear from you all often
being down here entirely among strangers
and good distance freom home every
word from a relation or an old friend
would be something to cheer up my spirits.
My love to them. Direct your letters to
JW Parrish Peytons Artillery Yorktown Va–Care
of Capt Whittle. West Point Va.

MSS 10305-a

Colonel Philip StG. Cocke Culpepper Ct. House
Colonel
I send five companies numbering
about 420 under comand of Major
J.P. Hammet–to wit–
Captain Eggleston’s Compy–Giles
Captain Richardsons Compy–Mercer
Captain Radford’s Compy Montgomery
Captian Lybrook’s Compy Patrick
Captain Reamy’s Compy Henry
which are intended as part of the
24th Regiment (my own)–The
other company of the regiment Captain
Taylors, Franklin, will be sent
in a few days–There are left here now
three companies just mustered into
service, not yet armed–I will send
as soon as practicable

Respectfully
Your obt servt
JA Early Col

MSS 640

Dear Father [James Cole Bruce]

You will be
surprised without doubt to hear that
I am in Richmond after having
written to you that my regiment
was ordered to Jamestown I arrived
here day before yesterday On last Tuesday
I was taken with a very severe case of
Dysentery accompanied with some fever
and as I was a good deal worse on the next
morning, our colonel very kindly gave me
leave of absence for a few days. I am improving
slowly but I still feel quite unwell. I would
have come straight to Halifax, but the Doctor
thought that I could not bear the jolting of the
cars. I think that I shall return to the regiment
on tuesday or wednesday. When I left the camp
there were about 20 of our company sick, and they
were reporting more and more sick every
day, mostly with the dysentery and Measles
. The sickness of nearly every one was brought
on by the continued use of salt provisions
without any vegetables and by bad water

[page 2]
I would have written to you on yesterday
, but I was so weak and had such a headache
that I was able to do it. Uncle Charles is at the
Spottswood with me and tells me he goes out
every day to the Fair Grounds to be drilled
. I hear that Ballard is coming down
to day or tomorrow. I hope that his company
is so fortunate as to have tents already
, for if they have not they will see a pretty
rough time of it when they are ordered from
Richmond. I am very glad to hear that Tom
has an office for I do not think that his
health could stand the hardships which a private
has to undergo. I want you please to send m
a jar of pickles and tell sister Nannie that
we would be very much obliged to her if she
would send me some also. Give my love
to Eliza and Kate and tell Eliza that she must
come down on Monday to see me before I
leave. I remain Dear Father ever your
affectionate son
Charles Bruce, Jr.

p.s. Please send those pickles to the
care of Mr. Pennill

James Cole Bruce, b. 1806, attended the University of Virginia in 1827 and was a member of the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 representing Halifax County. He voted for secession.

Charles Bruce of the 7th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry, was killed at Sappony Church in 1864 in repulsing the raid of Generals James H. Wilson and August Kautz who had been ordered by General Grant to destroy railroad track south of Petersburg, Va.

MSS 2692

Headquarters, Va. Forces
Staunton, June 7th, 1861

To Arms! To Arms!!
BRAVE MEN
OF THE WEST!!

Drive back the insolent invaders who insult you by their
presence on your soil. Our little band of Volunteers have
been forced from Phillipa by the ruthless Northern foe led
on by traitors and tories. It is for you now to rally to the field
and AVENGE THE INSULTED HONOR OF WESTERN
VIRGINIA

To-day I send to your assistance a force of Artillery, Cav-
alry, Infantry and Rifles. To-morrow

AN ARMY WILL FOLLOW

sent to your aid by your patriotic President, JEFFERSON
DAVIS, and your noble Governor JOHN LETCHER.

[note symbolized by pointed hand] Arms, Ammunition and Uniforms will be supplied
at your places of rendezvous.

M.G. HARMAN,
Major Commanding.

Michael Garber Harman, 1823-1877, was a Staunton, Va., hotel keeper and stage line operator. Major and Quartermaster of Virginia forces at beginning of war. Lt. Colonel of the 52nd Virginia, in August, 1861. Wounded at McDowell and retired on disability in June 1863. Spent remainder of war as Quartermaster at Staunton. Afterwards president of the Valley Rail Road.
Broadside 1861 .V58

Dear Creek
I again according to promise write you, I dont
know what to write about as news are rather scarce here at
present, we have not yet been mustered into service, but will
be tomorrow, at 10 O clock A.M. the mustering officer is
here now. I do not think we will start for Virginia for
a week at least, the camp equipments for the regiment
arrive so slowly, that they will detain us some time yet;
we are however making every effort to get off as soon as
possible, both officers and men are anxious to get a sight
of the Yankies.

I am very sorry to inform you of the death of one of my
men William G Layton, he died this morning at 9 Oclock
of Typhoid Pneumonia, he had only been sick a few
days. The Balance of the company are all in good
health, their is only three sick men in Hospital from
the whole regiment.

I neglected to send Maggies dog by John Vandiver I
was so pushed, at the time he started I could not go
after it-but tell her I will send it up the first chance
and also her bird.

Write me and let me know how you all get on; I am
longing to hear from you, is Maggie any better since I
left, oumust be very carfull with her and if she is
still sick take her to t
Tom Evins and have him do something
for her.

Give my Regards to all the neighbours and reserve
my Love for yourself. Kiss Meg for me and believe
me your ever devoted

William

Captain William J. Anderson of the 4th South Carolina Infantry “Palmetto Sharpshooters”

MSS 10366

Dear Pa,
As I will have an opportunity
of sending a letter home tomorrow by Mr. Lane, I will write
to you though I’ve just written to Sister by to day’s mail, but
you will be glad to get a letter from me at any time I know.
It always gives me the greatest pleasure to get letters from any
of you at home… Mr. Cullen & Jno. Hibbs will be expected home
next Saturday & I will expect Bro. John & Mr. Kennon & John
Crawford will go home next. I don’t know how we will get along
without Mr. Kennon. I am ^’sure’ we have n’t any one that can supply
his place as well as he does, he is a very useful man to us.
It will be my turn to go home on a furlough before many
months expire I reckon, but I will be the among the last to go
as it is not very important that I should go & all of those
who have wives & business to attend to will go first of course.
It makes me feel a little like going home to see others going
& hear them talk so much about it, but I’m not at all low
spirited or dissatisfied about it. I reckon Mr. Cullen has
told you every thing that has happened since we left home.
I hope he minded all of his stops as he went along, I wd n’t
be surprised if he stretched a little, he’s such a good hand at
spinning yarns. Jno. Thomas is rather better to day, I think
he will soon be out again. The Boys pl[a]gued Jno. a good deal
about writing to the Gov. I think Jno. was prompted by Patri-
otic motives to write to the Governor as ^’he’ thought that he wd be of

[page 2]
more service to his state by making shoes for the Government
than by fighting. Jno. is not the only one in our Co. that has[?-paper torn]
written to the Governor. We heard to day that Charles Jones had
written to Col. Hill, I did n’t hear the particulars of the letter but
could guess I reckon. Jno. Hibbs wrote Cap. Murray word that
Chas. Jones said he would give the musket up but would not
give the cap up, it is a very small thing but I don’t think
he ought to be allowed to keep it… We expect a good many
recruits now, as the malitia has been called upon. Henry Fran-
cisco had better stay home, we’ve got not no use for him at all.
I have n’t heard of anything new going on lat^’e’ly, every thin^’g’
is very quiet & still. Our Company was excused from drill to day,
as so many of our men are sick. Add. [Addison] Trice is a little better
to day, but is still dangerously sick, I am afraid. Billy Pettus
has the measles. Eddens & Tate are still at Winchester… I must
stop for dinner. We had fine soup that for dinner, that Mr. Lane
made himself. Five hundred Teneseans arrived this morning, the
other part of the Regiment, six hundred, will be on to night or tomor-
row. We did not get any mail to day at all, except from Winchester,
I do n’t ^’know’ the reason of it. I did not get the papers you sent
me last, reckon I will get them tomorrow, I saw an account
of the fight at Fairfax CH in a dispatch sent to Billy Cox. [William F. Cox]
They speak of sending the Eastern Companies to Culpep^’p’er CH under
Gen. Kemper’s command, but we are all violently opposed to
it & do n’t think we will go…Cousine Wm Russel expects to
go home next week on a furlough. I’ve not seen Cousine Will
Ashby for several days. I don’t see much of Dick Bernard now,
he was on guard with me the other day. I’ve seen very little
of Will Hunter since I’ve been here. Pen wrote me

[page 3]
word that Uncle Thom has joined the artilery Co. at Charlottes-
ville & he said the Ladyies there had formed a Co. for drill & the prac=
tice of [-] arms & the notorious Miss Moon was the leader of
the party. I called on Col. Hill this evening but he was
sleep so I did not see him, I will call on him again.
I have n’t seen anything more of Cp. Pendl^e’ton.
Tell Sister Page I think it is time she was answering my
letter, I’m afraid she will stop writing to me all together
after Bro. John arrives, tell her I will take good care of Bro.
John, she must not be uneasy about him. I think he can get
the situation in our Regiment. Cousine Dock said he wanted
to write a postscript so I must close. My love to all at home
& all of my friends & accept a large portion fo^’r’ yourself.
From yr devoted & aff son
P.S. Friday morning} P. Edloe Jones
I left room for Cousine Dock to write, but he has gone out
so I will finish out the sheet myself. It has cleared off at
last after raining for three days. Mr. Kennon seems to be
very much pleased at the idea of going home. Cap. Murray told
me last night that it would not be long before I cd go home,
that I had never given him any trouble at all & he intended
to let me go home as soon as he could. I think if there is no
fighting or nothing happens to prevent it, I will be home
in three or four weeks. Cousine Dock is very an[x]ious to go in
my place, but If I do get a leave of absence & it does not cost
too much I will certainly be home, but so many are trying to
get off first that I am afraid I will ^’be’ amongst the last as I don’t
intend ^’to’ make a fuss about going first. I told Cap. Murray that
I had no business at all at home except to see you all.

[page 4]
What is Joe doing with himself? I’ve been expecting a letter from
him for the last week, I think It would almost kill me to be compel-
led to stay in in this Fluvanna now. I reckon Joe has written
to me more than once but I’ve never received but one letter from him
which I answered directly. I will be very much surprised
disappointed if Cit Walthall does not come here, Cit is such a
good fellow. My love to Mr. Thompson & tell him I would
be very glad to hear from him. Tell Linden Trent to write to
me & make Jim and Meade write to me, tell Mat[?] she must
answer my letter…A citizen of this place was ordered to leave
yesterday by ten oclock this ^’morning’ for hi expressing his sentiments
too freely. Cousine Dock has just brought me his letter to you,
I know It will make you laugh when you get it, he keeps me
laughing all the time nearly when I’am with him.
I must close my letter. My very best love to Ma & tell ^’her’ not
to get low spirited about me. I am very well & hearty, to Sister,
Lute, Sis Page, Bro. John & all of the Ch Children, all at Aunt
Cynthia’s, all of my friends & accept a large share for yr’self.
As ever yr. fond & devoted son
P. S. P. E. Jones
My love to the servants. Tell Sister, I don’t reckon
she put the spoon in that she spoke of as I did not get it.
Who sent me that bundle of sugar? I don’t think it was
sent from home as it was not in my box. I am very partic-
ular about eating the dried cherries as I wd not like to have
the colic here for I cd not get any mash Potaes “Mush poticis”[?]
Edloe Jones
Major. Francis. Wm. Jones
Louisa CH
Bolivar Va.

[continuation of letter from P. Edloe Jones to his sister]
Thursday mornin^’g’
Dear Sister,
As the weather is too bad to drill this morning,
I will write you a few more lines to make up the five cents
worth. It is another very bad day, but I will not have to be
out any. Bro John will certainly be expected here this
week, I will be very glad to see him. I hope he can get the
situation in our Regiment. I know Cap Murray will do all
he can for him. I wish Pen was here, I think this
would be a better school for him than that at the Univer-
sity which he expects to attend & then he would be lear^’n’ing
som^’e’thing about camp life &c. I wd be as well fixed as
I wd care to be if Pen was only here. What does Joe do with
himself now? I miss him very much. Cousine Dock
is one of the greatest cases over here that you ever saw in yr life.
Henry Chiles told me to tell you that I was ^’am’ a “b^’i’gger rascal”
& more mischievious than I was at home, well ^’I’ do have a
great deal of fun with the boys over here.. I will be very glad
to see Mrs. Murray over here, you had better come with her.
I want to see the baby very bad, you have never told
me how many teeth she has. It is breakfast time so I mus^’t’
stop, I expect I’ll have some “Beef” for breakfast.
You must ^’not’ show my letters out of the family as they
are so badly written. I am very well, as well as I ever
was in my life. My love to all & accept a L^’l’arge share
for your self. Write again soon to yr devoted Brother
P. Edloe. Jones

MSS 13407

My Darling –
I received your sweet
letter of 1st inst on yesterday, and the
return of Mr McClure gives me the
opportunity of sending you a line
in return for it. When McC came
here to see his son a member of our
Company I offered him my hand
which he took and thus I have
made friends with the only man on
earth with whom I was not on
speaking terms. I bade a cordial
goodbye to Wilson when I left whom
home, which I think he returned
in the same spirit of good will
I now may say that there is none
on earth for whom I entertain
anything but feelings of kindness
and I think I have the illwill of no one
In view of the danger before me it
is indeed gratifying to feel that I have
the goodwill of those I may leave behind
that I leave no one who has received
wrong from me which I have not
regretted and which is not forgiven
If Mr McClure calls on you
for my sake treat him with

[page 2]
the utmost kindness –send
me the minature
Good bye dearest
Ever yours
E F Paxton

MSS 2165-a