[Warren’s letter is written in poor quality ink that has faded almost to illegibility over the past 150 years]
Camp Walker
February 28 1862
My own darling Wife
I got no letter from Frescatti today
from which fact I infer you are [doing fine?]
I must [conclude?] that[line 3, illegible]
[line 4, illegible]
to be [line 5, illegible]
too and do not now see how it is possible
to do so. I had determined before I received
information of your confinement to remain
with the regiment and do all in my power
to reorganize it and such continued to be my
purpose up to last night when Gibbons off-
ered Major Walker and myself an indignity
which unless satisfactorily explained in the
morning will compell [sic] me to tender my resig
nation on the spot. The Major & I have again
and again for months past called Col Gs att-
ention to the fact that the regiment was being
rapidly disorganized and that action ought
to be taken at once to prevent it but apparent
ly he turned a deaf ear to all of our opinions
until last night he called privately a meeting
of the company officers at his cabin from
which we were excluded. The object of
this meeting as stated to me by three captains
was to determine on the plan of reorganization
He has thus entirely ignored even our existence
and by his action decided that we have either
[page 2]
no interest in the reorganization of[this?]
regiment not sense enough to aid in it and
thus he degrades us before the very men to
whom we must look for our reelection. I
for one will not submit to such treatment
and unless ample explanations are made my
resignation goes in tomorrow. this thing
has had a most depressing influence on me
all day and I would have asked for explanations
this morning but to day is fast day – a day
which I regard as a national Sabbath and
ought not to be profaned by such things. I
am sorry to be thus forced out of the command
but unless we can have a complete understanding
the sooner we part company the best for both of
us. I ought not to trouble you with my own
troubles just now while you are so sick and
feble and you must not permit it to worry
you, but just think of it a little while and
then call for our new baby. I am crazy to know
if it is pretty and who it looks like. I know
[? ?] tell whether it is pretty and all about
it. I dont expect the little monkey has a single dress
to put on its back. Tell Jim he must lend her his
shirt & Lizzie she must lend her a dress or she
will get mighty cold in all this cold windy
weather. I Whose lap does Jim sit on now
and tell him papa wants to know whose baby
he is now. I reckon he will be papas now
and what does sister th think of her companion to be
[page 3]
I am afraid you all dont love the poor little
stranger as much as you do Lizzie & Jim. I expect
is a little red concern looking more like a monkey
than a baby and you are all making fun of it now.
if I was there I know I could find a thousand
beauties in it to talk about and brag over. I will
bet something [han[d]some?] that I could persuade every
body in the house to believe it just the handsomest
baby they ever saw. But then it is [poor?] little
thing without a lawyer to plead its cause and
not a rag to its back after its[rest of line 11, illegible]
washing. Tell Lizzie if she & Jim dont take the
best care of the baby and be themselves the best
children in the world why I will send Billy
up & bring the little concern down here where
I can take care of it myself. We have got no
baby at all in our regiment and we will
take it and call her the Daughter of the Regiment.
My darling it is very cold & the wind blows all
the time We can hardly keep warm even in our
comfortable cabins. I know I shall [? ? ? ?]
and I believe my cabin is one of the best in the camp.
The only news in camp is that Genl Elzee [sic] has returned I
am going to call on him tomorrow morning. I hope he
is in fine condition and perfectly able to continue in
command. You know I think Elzee [sic] an able officer
I would have called on him to day but it
was fast day. I dont like it much that I got
no letter to day. Hillary must write me a letter
about you, tell him I say so. I will send you
[page 4]
a letter every day I possibly can until
I can come myself but dont fret yourself
looking for me. Keep a cheerful heart
as I told you yesterday, I am constantly
thinking about you and it is so hard to
be away from you at a time like this
I know I could do wonders towards ma-
king you well – and taking care of you
I cant imagine how you are getting
along. My poor dear wife who has al-
ways depended so much on me, now to be
without me. but I must not write about
it. I saw in the Register to day
that [Pickens and ? ?] cousin Lizzie Glasgow [sp]
and two of her children are dead. they
died in a few days of each other. one was
her oldest – a daughter – the other a son
I was astonished of course I had heard
nothing of their illness. Good night my
precious darling.
Your own devoted husband
E.T.H.W.
“Frescatti”, line 1 – ‘Frascati. Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson Magruder Warren’s ancestral home located a few miles north of Gordonsville.’
“Gibbons”, line 11 –
“Col Gs”, line 16 – ‘Both referred to Simeon B. Gibbons, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.’
“Major Walker”, line 12 –
“the Major”, line 15 – ‘Both referred to Samuel T. Walker, Major, 10th VA Infantry.’
“Jim”, page 2, lines 24 & 27; page 3, lines 2 & 12 – ‘James, Warren’s five year old son.’
“Lizzie”, page 2, line 25; page 3, lines 2 & 12 – ‘Lizzie, Warren’s seven year old daughter.’
“Genl Elzee”, page 3, line 23 –
“Elzee”, page 3, line 26 – ‘Both referred to Arnold Elzey, Confederate general.’
“Hillary”, page 3, line 29 – “Hillary Magruder, Jennie’s younger brother by five years.’
“the Register”, page 4, line 13 – ‘Rockingham Register & Virginia Advertiser, newspaper published in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County.’
“E.T.H.W.”, signature – ‘Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Lieutenant-Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.’
[transcription and annotations by John P. Mann IV]
MSS 7786-g