My Dear Richard [Bayly Buck]

Mr Raye very kindly offers to be
the bearer of a little box of Peaches
Be sure to offer him some–How I wish
we had some way of sending you a quantity
Did Mr Petty get through safely with your
Boots and any part of their contents?
If so, please thank him–Send up Books
Bonny & Co–I will attend to what you request about
the gloves–Will try to write to you before I go to
Clark on Monday

[In margin on address side of sheet]
Walter’s Co has
gone to Romney
again–He has
not written.
Our Militia are
now near HFerry
& are having some
skirmishes –Write
tomorrow & frequently
Very Affectionately
M.B.B.

Apoligy for this Ele-
gant Epistle

Richard Bayly Buck, 1844-1888, was in the Warren Rifles, Co. B of the 17th Virginia

MSS 3064

[From the diary of Francis G. Hale, Company F, 34th Ohio Zouaves]

Not very well this
morning but feele a
little better after break
fast
there was a head of catle
brought over the river
this morning
we drilled this evening
till nine oclock the
batalion drill we
had a hard time
of it two comes at
six throug the mud
and water now and then

MSS 13405

Dear Father–I received A Letter from you directed 14th this morning i wrote to you about a Week ago & you do not tell me wether you received it or not But that you received on of the 8th Gen McClellan was here the other day to see the Army this side of the Potomac to see how they were getting Along thay gave him a grand supper Since I set down to write this Letter the Cavelrey that has been on Picket To day was drove in by the enemy And we expect to be attacted To Night or Tomorrow A part of this Brigade Has gone to see wether They can see the Enemy And I see by the Baltimore Clipper of this morning that there was a great And Bloody Battle in Missouri & the attact on Lexiton by the Rebel Genl Price & the repulse of the Rebels & heavy loss of the Enemy five thousand Rebels reported killed & Federal loss about eight Hundred & the Battle still in Progress the Force that Price attacted on the Federal entrenchments was under the command of Colonel Muligin & when they assaulted they was repulsed with great Loss, There is to be anther Brigade co come in where we are encamped i received a Letter from George this Morning it is the First Letter that i have Receivd from him since i have Ben Here But i answered it right a way & i received the Portland Advertiser from Home you wanted to know in your Letter why George Martin was not elected Captain & why Whe did not elect A First Lieutenant the reason that whe did not Elect him Captain Was that he had sent his Papers to resign & we could not Elect A First Lieutenant Not till he got the Papers and if he gets them There will be a Chance for McFearson To get that Birth When Lieutenant Colonel Ilsley Left this Regiment He laid down on the Ground & began to Cry he fel so Bad I saw a site up at Company H this Morning which I hope i never shall Have the thing myselfe it was a Man With the Cramp Cholic And he was in Awful pain for about halfe an hour, From your Son Joseph Leavitt

Edward Ilsley, a West Point cadet, recruited a company for the 5th Maine, later with the 12th Maine

Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine as copied after the war by his father
MSS 66

[From a letter of Mary Maxwell to General John Hartwell Cocke congratulating him on attaining his eighty first birthday]

“….You will be glad to hear that
the streets of the old Metropolis
have been occasionally watered with
whiskey, by order of the commanding
Colonel–to prevent intoxication
among the troops. Gen Hill at
York is a strong temperance
man–and commands the respect
of his men–almost to devotion
I wish I could say that Gen
Magruder is also a cold water
man, but I fear tht he is more
courageous than temperate….

MSS 640

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

10 A.M. Considerable anxiety exists in the Legion at this time for our safety, as the enemy in full force (more than 6000) are now very near us and still advance upon our position, which is but slightly fortified and should our defense prove unsuccessful, it will be very difficult to make a safe retreat. Genl. Floyd has given to Genl. Wise orders to follow on to “Meadow Bluff” but Genl. W. has determined to disobey orders to make a stand here at all hazards–we expect stirring events very soon–9 P.M. We shall not be surprised if we should be aroused some time to-night–Taps, etc.

From “Four Years with General Lee” by Walter H. Taylor

“MEANWHILE the Federal commander had been active in the Kanawha Valley, and, owing to matters of discord between Generals Floyd and Wise, it became imperatively necessary for General Lee to repair to that quarter, in order to restore harmony among our own people, and to resist the further advance of the enemy. Simultaneously General Rosecrans moved with a large portion of his army to reënforce General Cox; and General Lee ordered General Loring to leave a sufficient force to watch the enemy at Cheat Mountain, and move with the rest of his army to the Kanawha Valley.

General Lee proceeded without delay across the country in that direction.

On the 14th of September General Floyd encamped on Big Sewell Mountain, and ordered General Wise to go into camp a short distance east of him. On the night of the 16th he retreated to Meadow Bluff, directing General Wise to cover the movement and follow with his command to that point. This order General Wise positively refused to obey; and, selecting a favorable position on Little Sewell Mountain, he proceeded to make it good by a line of defensive works.

Such was the condition of affairs as reported to General Lee, who, upon his arrival, found General Floyd with his command at Meadow Bluff, and General Wise some ten or more miles in advance, at Little Sewell, with his legion of seventeen hundred men, now confronted by Rosecrans’s entire army.

Without entering into the merits of the controversy between Generals Floyd and Wise, General Lee perceived at a glance that Little Sewell was the most favorable point at which to make a stand; that being naturally a strong position, and much more easily defended than Meadow Bluff. General Floyd was therefore at once ordered to move forward to Little Sewell. The bitter feeling which had been engendered between the two commanders had imparted itself, in some degree, to the troops, and seriously threatened to impair their efficiency. No little diplomacy was required, therefore, to produce harmony and hearty cooperation, where previously had prevailed discord and contention. It will be readily understood that the partisans of Floyd at first viewed in no pleasant frame of mind the apparent indorsement of Wise’s judgment, if not, by a forced construction (to which a prejudiced mind is always liable), the approval of his disobedience and insubordination, implied in General Lee’s order that Floyd should forsake his chosen position and return to that persistently held by Wise.”

See also “Sketches of the campaign of General Floyd” by Micajah Woods, previously posted on this blog site.

MSS 38-221

[from the diary of Wesley Hammond of the Dixie Greys, Co. E of the 42nd Virginia]

Morning very foggy – yet fine appearance

of fine day – [word lined through] We press an ox

to carry our knapsacks – Taken from

us – Had our tents and baggage to car-

ry again – March 4 miles – Feasted

on a fine mess of snaps and corn –

Read 5 C in bible – Hear of the death

of little Joe Chapman

MSS 5526

Dear Pa:–
Harvey Lake has just informed me
that he will leave in a short time for Front Royal and has
kindly consented to carry a note to you for me.

Things are very active here since Generals Beaureg
ard and Johnstone moved their head Quarters here. Gen B

is at Fairfax and Gen Johnson between Fairfax C. House
and Fairfax Station I reckon you would think if
I were to tell you that there are seventy five wagons
just below our camp loaded with amunition
that we were about to make some forward movement
But it does not look as much to me as if we
were as it did a short time ag9o. Time only
will determine these things and it is useless
for me to make any conjectures.

Myself and the other Sergeants and Corporals
have to get a lesson in Hardee Tactics every day
and recite to Lieut Turner in the evening after
dress Parade.

We see the Boys from Head Quarters
quite frequently as they are only a few hundred
yards from our camp they are looking very well.

Pa I wrote to Ma the other day about
an overcoat I wish if you have it made you
will get Mr Petty to cut it like he cut Toms
it is much the best way I received my
Boots by Lieut Petty and are very much
obliged to you for them. I am very much
pleased wit them with one exception the
legs are too small they are most too large

[page 2]
in the feet but I reckon that is a very
good fault.

i heard that you had found your
mule Scot Fristoe [?] gave a very amusing
account of it..

When will Mr Fox be down
I heard that he had been married

You must remind Walter that
I am still in the land of the living
I heard that Mr Peyton said Walter was the
best cavalry man in that Regt.

I suppose Charley and Scott are having
a fine time you can send my uniform down
by them.

When you write you must tell
me all about the hospital and how many
sick you have is Doc Turner connected
with it.

I would like to have some of those nice
Peaches & Grapes I suppose you are having a
fine time while they last.

I must close Write Soon
Love to Ma and all the family Ever Your aff son
R[ichard] B[ayly] B[uck]

Confederate General William J. Hardee’s 1855 textbook, “Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics,” was required reading for officers in both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War .

MSS 3064

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

we all woke up this morn
ing a little better but
a little stiff and sore
but we will soone
get over that there
was 35 secech broght
in here this morning
as prisners the boys
here are very clever
fellows or seeme so any
way there are a lot of
fellows here called
the snake hunters
thy goit som I tell
you the second boat
has not comeu yet
they say that it is
ground down here
I saw three fellows
here that I was a
quainted with in
camp Clay they say
that they like it first
rate but they do not
like to lay in camp
Co I had there captaine
takeing prisners and
30 sme odd more
men with him they
first Kentucky
do not know what
to do they went out
on a scirmish after
some cattle and got
them in eight miles
of camp whe a lot of
cavelry lit on them
and killed 3 and took
about forty prisners
the boy told me the
fit like the D___l
but they had to go
they was scatered so
they would not do
nothing hardly but
they killed more secech
‘then the secech killed
and took of them
we have to go up the
river a bout 30 mile
more yet to day or
to morrow
They sent their prisners
down to Charlston they
are agoing to send them
two Collumbus Ohio
there was a fellow
got drunk and shot
at another soldier
but die not hit him
D Stratton and I clim
to the top of one of the
big hills it took us a out
an hour on the top there
is a large stone and
sat on it and rested
it was as high as we
could get uless we
club a tree we saw
a squirrel & captured
a land tortle and found
a coal mine we went
in the coal mine
a good piece it was
desurted and forsaken

MSS 13405

Will Chrisman has just arrived with
a bag of nice tomatoes for which I must thank
Ellis–Will says he saw you the evening before
he left that you were well & had writ[t]en
me a letter which you had mailed & which
I will get to night–I sent you a letter to day
by Mr Wartman telling you that David was very
much better and we think out of danger
the ball evidently did not touch either the
stomach or lungs–I expect your father back
to night, David being out of danger he can be
of no use to him & is entirely to restless & too
talkative to be near any one who must be
kept quiet–so I concluded to send for him
to day & will look for him to night and
will keep this open to give you the latest
news from him–I will look for you
when Mr Boyd comes but dont know whet-
her he will come on sunday or monday
or I would try & have some conveyance there
for you in the event you fail to get a pass
I advise you to go with Mr Boyd to Major
Bayles the man that issues the pass and
demand one to come & see David–you are
the only sister he has who can come to him
& have the right to a pass–If he refuses you
get on the train &come any how–I cant
safely meet you at Manassas & must therefore
leave you to the care of Mr Boyd–If when
you get here I am absent with the Regi-
ment> you will find in my tent a note
saying where I am–If at Munsons or Uptons

[page 2]
I will have my horse & an escort here for
you & you can come on to Falls church
but must first get a pass from Genl
Johnston whose Hd Quarters are on the
Road. I have just ascertained that Wartman
will not get home until day after tomorrow &
that consequently you will not get my letter
intended for your perusal in the morning–here
after I will rely on the mail entirely–to relieve
any anxiety you may feel in regard to David
I sent you a telegraph dispatch–there is beyond
question great activity in the movement of our
troops. Each day Regiments & Brigades are sent
down to the line & beyond the line we in fact
have occupied since the battle of manassas—Genl Jack-
sons Brigade is now between here & Fairfax ct House
Others have been sent in advance. From this
on I dont expect to have to go to Manassas as
often as heretofore–partly because we are now nearer
than we were & partly because Genl Elzey has pro-
tested against the continued hard duty imposed
on us. when you come down I hope to be
able to go with you to Falls church & then
take you down & give you a view of the Yankey
camp & the firing between the pickets–you can
see them plainly from Manassas.

Saturday night Your father has just returned
from Falls church and gives a favorable account
of David. The surgeon is of opinion that the stomach
is not injured and David is cheerful free from
fever, but still the wound is a very bad one
& very dangerous if not carefully attended-but
with proper care & attention, which he has
& his good constitution the chances are
in his favor–My love to all
affectionately E T H Warren

In the “Our Confederate” column of the Richmond Times Dispatch for 1908 April 19, H. E. Magruder of Keswick, Va., wrote:
“David (MAGRUDER), the youngest [of five brothers in the Confederate Army]… never recovered, though lingered a contorted cripple until after the war.”

There are no more letters from Edward to Jennie until October 19, presumably because she had come up to Camp Blair to nurse her brother.

MSS 7786-g

[from the diary of Harrison B. Jones of the 33rd Virginia]

The morning very foggy &
damp. nothing of interest
transpired to day. the weath
er continues warm. there is
a report that seventeen
of our men was taken
prisoners to day. I think
there is not foundation
for the report

MSS 14169