Brandy Station, Culpeper County, Va.
                                                  August 27th, 1862
I wrote you, My darling wife, a note yesterday mor
-ning, to be sent by Asa D. Dickenson, Mr. D. didnt call
for it & I found an opportunity to sent it to Richmond
to be mailed.  To day Dickingson has been in & it thus
afforded me the grateful chance of sending you
another note this afternoon
I am still at the same post as when I wrote yesterday
nor do I know when I will be ordered from this
point.  We can hear very little from the front
This morning cannonading was heard beyond
the Rappahannock & I am told Jackson & Ewells
divisions have crossed the river.  Whether or not
any battle has been fought we have not
yet learned.  In what direction the Yankee
army is moving I dont know.  You thus
perceive that I am in a condition of
blissful ignorance as to all the [great?]
military movements that are now
going on.  Kept here in the rear to guard
against any approach of the Yankees in
this direction I can get no intelligence
to write you.________________________
                                I think, dearest, constantly

[page 2]
I wish, how much I cant say, that I could
be with you, my dearest wife.  But we
must have faith in the mercy of God
and look trustingly to our Heavenly
Father to guide and preserve us
through all our trials & troubles.
I try to put my trust in Him and to
feel the assurance that all will be
well with us under the shelter of
His love.–
                        Kiss the children & Mary &
Alice for me.  Love to Mrs Riddle.
Remember me kindly to the ser-
vants.  How is Craig?____________
     Farewell, my own dear wife. I
take you again in my arms & kissing you
with love & tenderly pray God to have
mercy on you.   Yr affectionate husband
                        John T. Thornton.

John Thruston Thornton,  University of Virginia alumnus, & Lieut. Col., 3rd Virginia Cavalry.

MSS 4021

                               
                   
                                        August 27th 1862
My Dear Father
                     The monotonous life we are living here
close by Richmond, affords nothing to write which wd.
interest you. The left section ( half) of our company
has joined the division, having procured two little
sic pound pieces. It is still uncertain when we
will get guns or horses. As we get guns of larger
caliber we have to add four more horses to each piece
That part wh. has left is probably in or about
Fredericksburg I suppose; as I hear the division
is there. Our army of course has nearly entirely left
the vicinity of Richmond, very few being left below.
     Pope it seems is trying to do what I have feared
i.e. fall back upon the Potomac. I hope Lee (or Jack-
son, the latter seems to be the moving spirit) will
be able to force a fight & victory before he
reaches there. You know Lee is now in com-
mand of that army. Johnson (J. E.) is still
in Amelia. I have frequently an opportunity
of going to town & of course when I do, attend
the meetings of Congress. Miles of South Carolina     [William Porcher Miles]
seem to have more attention paid him, when he
speaks or gives an opinion than any other mem-
ber. Whether it is because of superior ability or
his position as chman. of the Military Comtee. I do not know.
He is however a man of good judgment appa-
rently. Of small statue & dressed in either a gray
or blue coat: with short gray whiskers. He
speaks slowly & with some difficulty, apparently
that of a foreigener. Foot who is always
up is a short thick set man with bald head & red
face & of a vulgar appearance. Bococke presides
in the house with ease dignity & readiness.

[page 2]
Lyons of Richmond is thought by some to represent
the President – a man of the greatest possible
vanity. A member from Georgia introduced
a motion of enquiry yesterday whether it was not
better to withdraw our commissioners from Europe.
As it was agst. confederate dignity longer to keep
them there & the English Queen having declared
her determination not to recognize us, while
at the same time her ministers admitted we
established a right to it &c&c. The motion to inquire
was unanimously carried. You will see probably
in the papers a statement by a member from
Louisiana of a discovery in his state of salt in
a pure state & inexhaustible quantity, but the
owner he said was not disposed to make
much use of it or appreciate its worth. You
are aware that companies from differ-
ent states are putting up works at the mines
in Washington county. Still I expect you
could purchase it cheaper now than later
when the time for salting bacon comes, if
you could purchase it at all at the works
of which there is some doubt. Our comp-
any has recruited from among the conscripts
at Camp Lee a good many as drivers, so that
our company numbers about 112 now. Until I
leave Richmond do not designate that I belong

to any company in directing your letters or
they will be sent to the Brigade – but simply
as to a citizen = W. H. Perry, Richmond, Va. I have
not heard from home since leaving save
by the enclosed note. If you have written they
have gone to the division. My Dear father
farewell. Sincerely your son
                                                W.H. Perry Jr.

[from the diary of Lt. John Tyler of Letcher’s Artillery as recorded at a somewhat later date]

(Aug. 27th) burnt them, also some
small bridges on the R.R. then pushed
up, for Manassas, took prisoners a

company at Bristoe & the major portion
of a Regt at Manassas.  Ewells command
was left at Bristoe and Hill & Talia-
-ferro’s, went together to Manassas.  Here
we found long trains of  cars filled with
all kinds of army stores to the value of
Millions.  The army were allowed to
go in, and take whatsoever they
pleased and such sacking is rarely
seen.  The only spoils I secured was a ream
of fine white fools cap paper and an inval-
-uable book on Artillery, [Styled?]  “Military’
Commission to Europe” by Maj. Mordecai,
U.S.A. Published by order of War Dept. –
And one of these single tents which I always
carry on my saddle.  Maj. Ginter for our Bri-
-gade secured a barrel of ground Coffee
& another of white sugar, besides having all
their haversacks filled.  We got a very
large supply of medicines here, which
were very much needed.  After securing

all that it was possible to do with our
limited transportation, the remainder
was burnt up.  They were set fire to at
dark and the next morning when we
left they were still burning. – Ewell who
had been left below was attacked in the
afternoon and after quite a little fight
fell back on us.  We were ordered forward
in line of battle; our batteries placed
in position & so passed most of the
night, about 1 o’c while all were asleep
a terrible explosion occurred which
sounded as  though all our Batteries had
opened, it of course brought us all to our
feet, but it was found to be only the fire
getting to some ammunition, in one of the
cars.

[transcribed by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

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

Wednesday 27.  Remain in camp near
Amesville.  on Pike leading from War-
renton & Sperryville.  No reliable news
from our forces.

[transcribed by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526

    [from the diary of Ephraim A. Wood, Co. C, 13th Massachusetts]

Wednesday Aug 27  1862

   It is now nearly nine Oclock
and we have had orders to be
in ready ness to march.  We are
not allowed to write home
but our band has got their
dis charge and they are going this
morning,  They kindly offered to
take letters for us.  I have
not yet got my Knapsack.

Wednesday   Aug 27/62

     Dear Sister Sophia
I have written this
Journal very hurriedly having
but a short time to write it
in  We can not write home now
till again permitted by Gen-
erals but I hope to hear from
you the same.  I received from
Edmund the other day a letter
inclosed was one from you.
I am well in grand spirits,
received this morning some papers
from you as well as Household
Journal, except my thanks, I
have not yet opened them.
My love to all
From your
Affectionate bro
Albert

P.S.
I will write when write when an
opportunity offers.
                                     Albert

               Aug 27th/62

       Wednesday, Continued

     About the middle of the afternoon
we marched.  We went through Warrenton
and on the road to Ganesville, on
the route for Manassas.  We were till
three Oclock the next morning, in marching
eight miles.  We had to halt for the
wagon train that was ahead of us
which made it a very tiresome
march for us.  At three oclock Thursday
morning we turned into a field and
went to sleep.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12021

Alexandria August 27th 1862
Dear Father  We are at this old place again after A three month
absence in the Peninsula & it seems like Home to be here again we started two
weeks ago last Saturday from James River & the first days march which was
six miles to Charles City Cross Roads where this Division was on the reserve on the
seven days Fight & the second day was fourteen miles to the Chickahominy &
the third day was twelve to Williamsburgh & the next day was to Yorktown
which was fourteen miles & the next day was twelve miles to Newport news the distance
hat we traveled in five days was fifty eight miles & from Newport news we took
the Transports & went to Aquia Creek & waited for orders which orders we received from
Alaxandria I will now close by letting you know that we are bound to Culp
epper this Morning I have received three letters from you since we left
Newport news of the 12th & 18th & one from William of the 22d & one Ad
vertiser I get your letters regular but I do not the papers I saw A Mrs Ha
miltons son & Mr Tebbets yesterday & they were looking finely I forgot to say
that this Division was rear guard this time From Your Son Joseph Leavitt

Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine as copied after the war by his father John, as a remembrance of him.

MSS 66

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

Wednesday, Aug. 27, ’62

Bivouacked last night
by the road side very
uncomfortable for want
of bedding.  This morning
without breakfast fell
in and marched after
several halts into Alexandria
there stopped in a vacant
lot spoke to Col Hayes about our
discharge  he will not hear to it
unless unavoidable.  A stragling
boy of W.g. City came with us
The Paymaster came in and
we are now being paid up
Rec’d 15 dollars from Crawford
of Co. H for my watch.
Did not receive my pay
from the Paymaster had
some talk with him about
it he acknowledges no right
to pay Regtl bands
Clear warm

MSS 10317 

[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]

Wednesday 27  I have been feeling very badly all morning.  My
stomach disordered-& a constant chilliness–The weather is threat
-ning again-& we may have rain to day–

MSS 6960

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer and former diplomat with five sons in the Confederate Army]

Wednesday 27 Lewis came in late last
night & brought information that
Charles arrived in the train–His
company is ordered to recruit.  He
is laid up with a boil. Went over
to see him in the evening.  He gives
interesting accounts of the skirmish
up on the line of the Rappahannock
He has been much under fire
and once in a reconnaissance with
Stuart & Wm was exposed to great
danger.  Wrote at his home to Mary
and called to give the letter to
Dean who goes down tomorrow
Stuart has made another brilliant
scout–taking 360 prisoners–bringing
in an immense amt of stores and dis
[persing?] a column of 500 men at
Catlett’s station.

MSS  4763