Spottsylvania Co Va Camp near Fredricksburg
Nov the 24  1862

My Dear cousin
                         I write you a few lines this
morning which ill inform you that my
self and John is yet in the land of
the living and injonying a reasonable portion
of health and much hopeing when this comes
to hand it may find you and all injouying
the same great blesing,  I have no news of intrust
to write, we have bin marching for the last
four days, we got here yesterday eavning, I understand
thare is plenty of yankees near hear, tho I havent
seen eny of them, we met the citerzens moveing
out yesterday as we came in, thay said the yankees
was going to shell the town yesterday, tho they
hav enot commenced shelling yet, I would not
be surprised to hear the canon at eny time,
I think our men is waiting for the yankees
to open the ball, I hope thay will leave
while our Generals is waiting for them to
commence fighting, I think thare is verry strong
force here on both sides, if we have a battle
here I expect it will be verry hard one,
I got a letter from sister Mary last friday
dated 17th inst if you see her be fore
Cliff Perrie starts tel her not to send
our coats I must as the mail is about
to start write to me soon

[page 2]
and direct your letters to
Picketts divition Near Fredricksburg
                      James Booker
                 to miss C[harity].U[nity]. Blair

James Booker and his twin brother John, were in Co. D. 38th Virginia, the Whitmell Guards

MSS 11237

Near Gordonsville Nov 24th
Dear Nettie
                    In my letter to Mother
some two weeks ago I stated that I
was on the point of setting ot to
Winchester to join my regiment
I did get as far as Gordonsville but
got there too late to get transportation
on the cars for that day which was
very lucky as otherwise I should
have had a long and useless march
for that night I heard that the
army was moving back from Win-
chester and a day or few after that
one corps of the army under Longstreet
was in the neighborhood of Culpepper
Court House.  I could not find out
for some time whether my regiment
was with Longstreet of Jackson
and just as I got ready to start
I heard that my division had moved
towards Fredricksburg.  this dis-
turbed my calculations again and
I had to wait a day or two before I
could hear something about them

[page 2]
I shall start out tomorrow to look
for them: They are somewhere on the
road between orange Court House
and Fredricksburg where I dont know
but most probably close to Fredricks
burg  we have been having some
pretty cold weather here lately, frost
and ice and one slight snow storm
The Yankees seem disposed to have
a winter campaign for which I am
truly sorry as marching and fighting
during the cold wet winter months
will be anything but pleasant
I thought that I had experienced a
pretty hard time last spring and
summer, but that was nothing in
comparison to what the troops have
endured this fall, and what is before
us this winter. I am in hopes that
this winter will see the end of the
war  There is it is true nothing very
definite upon which to found such
hopes but there some few symptoms
which by the sanguine may be favor-
ably interpreted. You all have heard

[page 3]
I suppose the rumours of recognition
and foreign intervention which have
lately excited the public mind
Although nothing definite has been
heard I can’t help thinking that
there may be something in them
That is the only way I think in which
the war can be stopped and it must
come sooner or later I saw Dr Holt
and Willie Sims in Gordonsville on
their way home I suppose they
have got there by this time
Doctor Holt told me that Beltz Pos-
tlethwaite had gone home. I suppose
the girls are delighted now that
they have both of their brothers with
them.  I wish very much that
I had gone home with Sam–If I
had entertained the slightest idea
of ow long it would be before
I was fit for service I would most
certainly have done so  Give much
love to Mother Nell and the
Also to the Postlethwaites when
you see them.  Give love also to

[page 4]
the servants and remember me to
all my friends and acquaintances
in the neighborhood
            Your affectionate brother
               Horatio N. Smith

Horatio N. Smith, Co. D., 21st Mississippi

MSS 3772

[from the diary of Frank Fitzhugh of Cutshaw’s Battery]

        Monday 24
Started at light, crossed the
Blue Ridge at Fisher’s
Gap and camped for
the night 2 miles east
of the foot.   21 miles
to day

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

Monday 24th  Spend the day as usual
in reading – purchase a [–]
in book store, also some paper and
envelopes –

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526

Castle Hill 24 Nov. 1862

My dear sir,
I received a few days
ago your letter of 8th instant, accom-
-panied by a pamphlet copy of your
letter to certain gentlemen, with whom
you had been associated in a peace
effort one or two years ago.–I have
read the pamphlet with great interest;
and though not concurring in some
of its view with regard to the possibility
      of the union at any time or
of a re-constitution ^, under any form,
I heartily respect & sincerely sym-
-pathize in the spirit of Christian patri-
-otism & benevolence which pervades it.
  I do not consider it now as a
matter of any importance whether the
Crittenden resolutions or the propositions
of the Peace Conference offered, in the
main, the best terms for the South.
But since you desire my opinion
I will merely say that I always con-
-sidered the propositions of the peace con-
-ference the better adjustment for

[page 2]
the South; the reasons of which
opinion were fully stated in a
speech made by me in Richmond
in March 1861, a copy of which I
will send you, if I can lay my
hands on one:–
                    With great respect,
I remain very truly yours
                                       W[illiam] C[abell] Rives

E[dwin].G[illiam]. Booth Esq.

P.S.  Though I believed as
stated above, that a reconstruction
of the late union, under any form
is wholly out of the question, I will
add that my hopes of peace now rest
mainly on the obvious interest & I
trust, policy of the leading north-western
states to draw off from the war;
and it is quite possible that some
arrangement of mutual advantage
between them & the Confederate
States might, if pressed in a
proper spirit on both sides, be
brough[t] about, at no very distant

[page 3]
day

MSS 6122

                                                 Camp Casey Nov 24th [1862]
                                                        Fairfax Seminary
Dear Sister Helen
                                                 I received your
letter dated 21st this morning, and
think I will answer it this after-
-noon although it is very pleasant
and warm and I would like to be
out taking the air.. I was out
quite a while this morning and
went down and staid in our tent
for some time,  the boys haven’t
done much drilling since they came
back from picket it has taken
them most all the time since

then to dry their clothes and clean
up their guns which were completely
covered with rust.   They had a pretty
tough time.   So you was going
to surprise me by sending a box
was you, and not write me any
thing about it – well I thought
that you might send me one
but I hardly dared to trust
you and thought I would send
for it but I shan’t expect it
as soon as Thanksgiving for it
can’t get here so soon, but it
will be very acceptable at any
time if every thing is in good
condition..   I wish that I
could be at home Thursday and
help you empty the dishes and
spend a day with you all if
it were only for a day – but I can
wait until next year and then
I expect there will be a general

thanksgiving and rejoicing in
many homes but you must eat
a good dinner for me, which will
have to answer this time.  I hope
you will enjoy yourself and have
a good time.  They are fixing up
the hospital pretty gay are white-
washing and plastering and have
got Iron bedsteds for us all and
they are real nice and easy to
lie on,  I thought that I would
get out of the hospital and go
to my street this week but if
they are going to have things so
nice I don’t know but I had
better stay a little longer for
I shan’t do any duty for some
time yet.        We expect to be
paid off pretty soon and ought
to have been a long time ago
but they don’t pay up very –
prompt but I hope they will

let us have some money pretty
soon as I am played out..
                   Tell Father to write and
tell me what I had better do
about getting me some boots.  Do
you think that it would pay
to have my shoes sent home
until dry weather again they
are just as good as new and not

Richmond Nov 24th 1862

My dear Nancy
    As Mrs Magill leaves here to morrow,
I cannot let the opportunity escape to write you a letter,
and to say that this is the third which will have been
written to you since my return to this place, I have
recd two from you, which gave me reason to hope
that you were all getting along something better
than you anticipated when I let you; I most
earnestly hope this state of things may continue,
and that you may get through the winter in compar=
=ative quiet, I was somewhat concerned to hear that
Sophie (God bless her) was contemplating a visit to
Md; now she might get to Md, very well but I have
doubts whether she could return, and I would rather
she should remain at home in the plainest dress, then
be compelled to remain in Md against her consent,
you must think well on this subject.
I have priced the calicoes you spoke of in yr letter,
they cannot be had here for less than $1.75 and $2.00 pr. yd.
are you willing to give such prices?  I will try and
get you some valley money form Farmville as soon
as possible, I saw Mr Carson the prest. of the Bank the
other day and he told me that the valley money was
pretty much paid out, but if cousin Ann Magill
succeeds in getting some from them to day, I shall
hope to get some for you, which I shall send by the
first safe opportunity,  Have you heard anything
of my clothes, I wish them greatly, and will want
them more very soon, it is next to impossible to get
things here except at fabulous prices; if you get them
send them by none but the safest hands, I should
like very much a couple of under shirts.
Always write me fully about every thing, because
I can then know better how to advise; I heard the
other day that charlie was quite well, Tom I suppose

[page 2]
you have seen; and he amused you I have no doubt
with an account of his imprisonment in Washington,
how I wish this horrid war was at an end, and that
we could once more live quietly in our homes, and
renew in the autumn of our lives, the pleasures we
enjoyed in our spring; well we must bear with the
present, and if you will take my advise and preserve
a prudent course you will I hope get along better
than you expected when I last saw you.
                  Every thing here looks favourably;
give my love to all at home, and believe me as
                                      ever yours
                                    Th. E. Buchanan
P.S. Tell Minnie, Mr martin presents his compliments,
and desires to say that the recollection of the Balmoral
is very fresh in his memory.

Thomas Ely Buchanan, 1810-1889, to his wife Nancy Dandridge Buchanan

MSS 4560

[from the diary of the Rev. Francis Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]

24. Very cold, last night – ice – bright morng – had a series
of bright – pleasant dreams, some funny, some sweet,
Feel well today – read a good deal – visited sick
letter fr. Mr H[ornblower].

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]

     Nov. 24th, ’62.
Still in Camp.
Brig. Off. of day;                        
picket lines about
4 miles.

[from the diary of John Ward of the 102nd Pennsylvania]

Nov 24th A C Day
Queater master came
To Headquaters
and [-] in major Patterson
of the Breadge house
this was a fine Day

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12913