[from the autograph album of Randolph Harrison McKim]

“By the grace of God, we’ll met you
parting is no more”

Though we meet no more on earth, my
dear Ran, we know that our parting is
not forever, for “we know in whom we
believe” Good-bye.

Affectionately your friend,
T.U. Dudley, Jr.

Parsonage, U. V.
July 1, 1861.

Thomas Underwood Dudley, Jr., 1837-1904, received an M.A. degree from the University of Virginia in 1858. He was afterwards the Episcopal Co-adjustor ant then presiding Bishop of Kentucky, 1875-1904.

RG-30/17/1.064

I wrote you a note yesterday morning
my darling, and at the time that I fin-
ished the impression was that we would
remain where we were another day, but
in a very few minutes after orders came
from headquarters for us to march, our
horses were ready saddled, baggage wagons
packed, and in 15 minutes after the orders
were received we were marching out of
camp and a very hard day we had, I
begin to think that I can stand almost
anything, juast as we started yesterday mar
ching it commenced raining and rained
hard the whole day at least until we
reached Fairfax Ct. Ho. about 6 o’clock.
it was a cold rain too and we had to travel
all day at slow marching pace soaking
wet, when we got to our camping ground
near the Ct. Ho. our wagons were some
distance behind and we had to stand
and wait until they came before we

[page 2]
could leave our houses, it was the worst
and most disagreeable march we have
had yet, and then we had bad ground to
camp on, and after this march being
the officer of the guard I was up in
the open air all night, now you will
infer from this directly that it made
me sick but you would be greatly mis-
taken if you did. I have been as well
to day as I ever was, and have suffered no
inconvenience beyond the necessary
and natural consequences of fatigue and
loss of sleep. I have taken a nap
this evening and feel very much
refreshed, our comany was ordered
back to this place this morning, the
others are still at Fairfax Ct. Ho. where
they will probably remain for the
present and be employed in picket duty
and scouting between there and the
Falls Church in the direction of
Alexandria where the enemy has a
considerable force, Capt.Pitzer lost

[page 3]
two of his men day before yesterday
captured by the enemy they took four
of them including a lieutenant
but he and one of the men escaped
Pitzer himself recd a shot in one of his
legs by the accidental discharge of
a shot gun in the hands of one of his
men, just as he was about to mount
his horse to go with his company to
Leesburg, he is now upon his back
and will be for several weeks, we are
now about 7 miles from Fairfax Ct
Ho, and about midway between there
and Manassas, we came by Manassas
yesterday and this place also, as we passed
the junction of Gen Beauregard came
out and greeted us, we are encamped
now alongside of the Wist troop, they
have been here some time, and seem
to be pretty well fixed, they are living
right well receiving most of their
provisions from Lynchburg, and
little or nothing to do, we have recd

[page 4]
orders tonight to march in the mor-
ning to Frying run Curch some
six or seven miles from here towards
Loudoun and the Potomac, where
Perry’s company is encamped, we are
rather pleased at this as it is a fine country
and a good field for military operations
our destination I understand is Leesburg
in Loudoun county to operate between
that place and the Potomac, this you
know is an intermediate point between
Alexandria and Harper’s Ferry, and is
a fine and fertile country almost
as any in the state I was in hopes to
have had a letter from my darling
tonight, but we have not had an op-
portunity to leave from the junction
we have to send up early in the
morning for somethings we leave
there and then I hope to get a letter
you must continue to direct to Ma
nassas until I instruct you other-
wise, I was afraid I would lose the chance
if writing to you to day at our

[page 5]
camp so often and marching every day gives
us a good deal of work to do and keeps
me very busy we were kept this morning
for a long time with our hourses saddled
in a state of uncertainty whether
we were to march or remain where we
were not receiving any letter to
night I have taken out the last
one and read it over and over and you
cannot imagine the comfort and con-
solation it gives me, my darling if you
will continue to love me and cling
to me to the end I can suffer any
privation or hardship with patience
and fortitude [words blurred]
than I deserve and repay me a
thousand fold for everything that
I may have to endure, devote yourself
to me heart and soul, love me with
all your love, and in the darkest hour
I shall have a glow of warmth and
a gleam of sunshine in my heart, it
will be a shield to me in the hour of

[page 6]
danger and peril and reconcile me to any
fate that may befall me, so long as
I have you to love me I am content
whatever my lot may be–

I wish you could look into my tent
now and see me writing to you, kneeling
aupon the ground and writing upon my trunk
but the wind is blowing pretty stiff and
has flared my candle almost away, and
I will not give you any description of
what you would see if you were to loook
in, my little ones are now in bed fast
asleep, god bless them–if I could only
look at them and kiss them as they sleep
what a pleasure it would be to me–
you must do it for me, I trust in
god we shall all meet again some
time and be happy, [?] only knows
when it will be but let us live
in hope–good night my own darling
may god bless you and little ones
and keep you from all harm

Your devoted husband
G. R. Page

[sideways on top margin of page one]
I forgot to say
that John and
all the boys
are well and
hearty tell
Mrs Patrick
I saw Tom
yesterday mor-
ning as I came
by Manassas
he is as fat as a
bear and looks
healthy and
seems to be
well satisfied
I believe I
saw all the
boys from our
neighborhood
and they are
all well
and doing
well

MSS 8937

My Dear Wife
Your letters were
received and I would say
that there is so little going
on I find it impossible to
write you a very long letter.
Johnny and myself are quite
well and John is still more
satisfied than before. The life
is so different from that
which he has seen that the
variety seems to meet his
fancy. We are still without
a Colonel, but expect soon
to be fully organized having
now nine companies and
expect another company to be
assigned from Reg’t on
to-morrow. We (as soon as the
organization is complete) will be

moved to some point we know
not where, but not to the sea
coast as is rumored there being
other Regt’ ordered to all points –
on the coast where garrisons
should be. It is a general im-
-pression that if the U.S. Congress
does not make peace proposals
we will be sent to Virginia.
We have had several nice rains
which were much needed, as the
crops were suffering, and the at-
mosphere was quite hot. The heat
is not so excessive as when
first I came down.
I attended
the Presbyterian Church yesterday
and heard the Rev Mr. Giradeau
of Charleston. He reminded me
very much of Mr. Ben Palmer.
He urged some very serious
considerations and made each
one thing seriously of those things
necessary to secure happiness in

in after life. The congregation are very
kind to those who attend, and secure
them every attention in their power.
I will probably visit the city to-morrow
or next day and will then procure
the articles. Probably mother will
need the money for board. You may
pay her and I will forward you
money as soon as we receive our
pay, which will be to day or to-mor
row. Would you not like to visit
the city. I would like to have you
get a little Ice cream. Write me
what you think about it. If you
do not get a chance send my
clothes, by express on Thursday. Pay
the freight. Send me the two white
vests, I have at home and send
to sister Libby and ask for the vest
she made for me. Give my love
to all my folks, and reserve a large
portion for yourself.
Ever your affectionate
husband
J.M. Phinney
Pay for the times I was
home.

MSS 12661

Dear father and mother I take my
pen in hand to let you know that
I am well and hope when theas few
lines may find you injoying the
same blessing I received your letter the
other day you wanted to know
what I asked for my oxens you
sell them for as much as you can
get and if you can get a cheap
colt by it with the money that
you get for the oxens you know
more about the news then I do
I here the big bull dogs barking
nearly every day we air fairing verry well as
we get beef bacon rice coffee sugar potato
James Hamilton sends his best respects
you we air about 17 miles from
washington we air going on picket
to morrow in sight of the yankeys
we air in fine spirits we aint
affraid of the eternal yankey
we have moved to fair fax
court house But still direct
your leters to manassas Junction 28 regi
ment Va Vols care of P. G. Breck
enridge we have received our mus
-kets I like the camp life fine
I weh I weighed 131 1/4 lbs when
I left amsterdam and now I weigh
137 1/2 lbs I have had my health
better since I left home thenever
did in my life we have the best
colonel we have a fine camp
all the Craig Boys is in

[page 2]
regiments I have seen James
B brownlee I have seen the
fincastle Boys and the fincastle
lite horse men we have a
first rate capton his is a fine country
down here we press peaches till
you cant rest we get the verry
roasneers [roasting ears? or rosiest?]we cant see any
montains down here we
have splendid water down
here If we want any thing
corn we Just go to corn
field and get it the ladys
is absent down here
I was at preaching yesterday
when I get Back I will make
the gals stan a bout tell
miss Sarrah that I am going
to write her soon tell Georg
to let lucy hanes a lone
now I must bring my
letter to close tell all the
friends to write to me give my
bes respects to all the friends
write soon you will
hafto pay the postage for I
get my money changed
so nothin more at preasint
only your afectionate
son
James B Painter

Private Company K, 28th Regiment Virginia Volnteers

MSS 10661

Camp Evans

My Dear Creek

I again take the pleasure of writing
you a few lines, you will see by this that we have
changed our quarters, my company was ordered
to this station yesterday, to watch the movements
of the enemy, we are about three and a half miles
from the balance of the regiment, we have 35
Virginians with us and two cannon, we think
ourselves highly flattered by being selected from
the regiment, for this highly important station,
and should the enemy attack us at this point,
we will endeavor to give a good account of ourselves,
we are only about a mile or a little more from the
enemys camp across the river, I am having
Breastworks thrown up to defend the approaches
from the river and planting guns on them as
fast as we can, our Batteries are all concealed from
the view of the enemy and our encampment is in
a thicket in the woods so that you cant see either

[page 2]
till you are right on them we have scouting parties
out to warn us of the aproach of the enemy and
a few minutes work will unmask our Batteries
and be ready to receive them in proper style,
I dont know whether I ought to write you this way
or not–but you know I promised to tell you that
all and hide nothing of my situation from you,
Although we are so close to the enemy our danger
is not much greater than further of, in fact not
so great, as we have a better chance of seeing them
here, and are better prepared to meet them.
I left Dugan and Jim at Camp Carolina yesterday
both well they both wanted to come with me
very bad, they are both well as I getting along
finely, I wrote a long letter to Father yesterday
which he will receive about the same time you
get this I gave him all the general news in camp.
I suppose you think I must be getting better on
the writing question, well whenever I have a hour
to myself and out of the bustle of the campt I cant
think of anything else but home, and I almost

[page 3]
fancy that I am tallking with you all the time
I am writing, But Creek the mail came yesterday
and their was no letter from home in it for me.
I was very much disapointed when I did not hear
from you, it is now nearly 3 weeks since I heard from
you, and although I know that you are among friends
yet that does not satisfy me like without hearing
from you, I have read this morning every letter you
have wrote me since I left home, I often read them
whenm alone in my tent, I wrote you thursday last
and shall continue to write you three times a week
as long as I have an opportunity of mailing them
I would write you every day if we had the mails to send
How is our little darling Maggie, does she ever talk
of me now, have you ever had her amprotype taken
I should like to have it so much, you might find some
of the [?] perhaps coming out here and send it by
some of them, I never see a little girl but I think of
her and you dont know how it makes me sometimes
feel I never knew what it was to be a father till I left
home, I trust I may soon be able to return to you both
Your affectionate husband, William

William Anderson, 4th Regiment Carolina Volunteers (Palmetto sharpshooters)
MSS 10366