We the undersigned Freeholders in the County
of Fluvanna having been called upon
to appraise, in ready money, negro man
Abraham property of Jno. H.Cocke,
which negro is impressed to work
on the fortifications in the vicinity
of Richmond Va., belieiving him to
be entirely sound, ado estimate his
value at one thousand dollars,
Given under our hands this
the 29th Oct. 1862
                     F. S. Johnson
                     Wm G Haden
                      Wm J Thomas

General John Hartwell Cocke, the last surviving member of the 1st Board of Visitors of the University of Virignia

MSS 640

[The stationery is imprinted with an engraving of the U.S. Capitol and the words: “18th Regiment Maine Volunteers, Company ___”]              

         Company K
         October the 29      1862
              Camp Stetson  DC
              Dear Brother
i now take my pen in
hand to answer your kind
letter which i received last
night.  I was glad to hear
from you and to know
that you was wel
at home.
you spoke of things
that has been said when
we are were togather but
i don’t want you to think

[page 2]
any thing of what has
been said but let it al
pas.  I am sure that I
should never thought any
thing more of what has
been said.  I tel you george
you don’t very often find
a family of brothers
that has got along
to smoothe togather as we
have so don’t let that
trouble your mind at all
They say that we are
going to Alexandria this
winter.  O george I saw
Gered Pike yesterday and
I saw aman that brot
him from the City and
had a long talk with
him about the war and
he told me that gen
Lee is on the retreat
and Mc Clelden is on the

[page 3]
Advance And the cry is once
more on to Richmond
so he said and i  hope
it is so for I believe
if‘they will try they can take
the city and distroy the
Reble government al at
once   they say they are
not going to wait for
warm weather this time
but are going to push
right ahead and do it
up * I saw a Comp of
mounted Cavelry this
morning the first i have
seen with horses since i
come out here – I
saw two boys to day
that swam the potomac
and run away from the
121 new york regt
and I might took them

[page 4]
but i would not take
them for they wanted
to get away so bad
i thought i would let
them go
   but now i must close
for I have got to go
out on battalion dril
and it is time now
write soon as you
can
           Good bye from
              your brother
            Ambrose A Huntley

Ambrose A. Huntley, musician and corporal, Co. K, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 828

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts]

Wednesday
Oct 29
Had to go down farther from camp, three of
us as picketts.  Had a very pleasant time
in thinking of home and building air castles about
the farm.  Had quite a time with Pollard about
smoking in which I lost my temper somewhat, for
which may God forgive me.  This afternoon and evening
have been taking care of Phineas who is sick.  Heard
that the Colonel was going home, having resigned, which
makes me feel bad.

MSS 11293

[from the “war journal” of George Hazen Dana, of the 32nd Massachusetts as compiled by him at a later date from his diaries and letters]

                                                           Camp near Sharpsburg.
                                                                 Oct. 29th. 1862.
We shall probably move from this place in a day or
two, as all our sick have been removed, and we are
prepared to march, with three days’ rations in
haversacks.        I have now had a little time to try
the position *  I now occupy, and must say I like it,
the Colonel having promised to let me join Co. A. in
all battles we may engage in, my objection to the
berth has been removed.        It gives me a good
* as Quarter Master.

large tent, and many privileges which I could not
have, were I with my company – – -There is
another consolation I have as Quarter Master –
I shall have no foot-sore marches, as I shall travel
on six legs instead of two.        The weather out here
has been very cold, most of the time, of late.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5130

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

                              Wednesday 29
     Started at 8.A.M.   went
about six miles toward
Ashbys Gap where we
camped        

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 4448            

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

Wednesday 29th. – Still quite unwell today
did not get before the board to get a
transfer – Not very well pleased about
it –

MSS 5526

[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]

      Hd. Qrs Cav. Brigade
        Purcellville, Oct 29, 9 am
To General R. B. Marcy
       Chief of Staff

 My pickets report the rebels were
making signals throughout the
night from the mountain area
Snickersville Gap-
      Yesterday below Aldie
the women on Fairfax place
threw stones at my command
& waved a secesh flag–this
was a little too much so the
officer made them give up
the flag much to their disgust.
      This side of Union
a rebel foraging party of one
regiment of infantry & one
of cavalry was turned back
making up this way—
     I hear this morning there is
another brigade with Walker
near Upperville—
         Very respectfully
            A. Pleasonton
               Brig. Gen.

[page 2]

An officer from picket has
just come in to report that a
Union Quaker who escaped yesterday
from the rebels, told him he saw
Longstreet at  Upperville day
before yesterday–that he had
18,000 men, & that his soldiers
said they were going to
Manassas—
         A. Pleasonton
               Brig. Gen &

MSS 495

   Hd. Qrs. Cav. Brigade
   Purcellville Oct 29:  1 P.M.
To General R. B. Marcy
    Chief of Staff
   A negro boy has just come in
who has run away–his master
being about to send him off to the
rebel Army–This boy was at
Winchester last Thursday–says
the soldiers talked about falling
back towards the Rappahannock
Heard his young master say there
would be a move of rebel Army
soon–The soldiers had a hard
time at Winchester, did not
get anything to eat sometimes
for several days–getting tired
of the war–Soldiers said that
Gen. Lee would not exchange
any more Loudon county
soldiers they were so worthless
     Shall send him to Hd. Qrs–
My pickets captured a spy this
morning, who if guilty ought
to be shot–for this is the
only way to make these people
[behave?] themselves
          A. Pleasonton
                Brig Genl

MSS 495

[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]

Hd Qrs,  Cav. Brigade
Purcellville Oct 29, 2. P.M.

To General R. B. Marcy
     Chief of Staff
My pickets on the Catochin Moun
tain, saw the rebel camp fires
at Middleburg last night–they
were about a mile long–a
Quaker (Union) told them this morning
there was abbout[sic] 1200 infantry
& cavalry at Middleburg–The
fires were put out in a short time.
      A negro who came thro’
Snickersville gap on Monday when
my advance was driven back says
it was well we did not try to go
on-as they had cannon all the
way up the Gap & were bringing
more under the impression
our Army intended to cross at
that point–The force there,
he says was infantry-
      It looks as if the force
at Middleburg was making its way
to Aldie to go to Manassas–
   I shall send in that
Quarter tomorrow & will find out
my force today is too [occupied?] to
[?]  it–very respectfully
               A. Pleasonton
                       Brig. General

MSS 495
 

[from the dispatch of General Alfred Pleasonton]

Hd. Qrs. Cav. Brigade
Purcellville, Oct 29. 8.15 P.M.

To General R. B. Marcy
    Chief of Staff
        a citizen of Maryland from
Winchester today has just been
brought in by my pickets who
states he escaped from prison this
morning as they were releasing
some Federal prisoners–&
crossed the Shanandoah below Snickers
Gap –He reports the rebel
army moving from Winchester
to Staunton–that there is now
only two hundred infantry
& three regiments of cavalry
now in Winchester doing
provost duty over prisoners-
  The rebel Army he says
is in [?] condition
that provisions were very high
& bread & beef are the daily
issues–(over)

  [page 2]
  I think this man is a
deserter from Stuarts cavalry
who probably joined him in
his late raid & is tired of
his bargain—
     A Union gentleman from
Waterford–told me today that
he was in Winchester some ten
days ago–& that he saw a
provost guard called to arrest
a suspected person & that out
of the ten men of the guard
six were bare footed & that
this was the average condition
of their Army–he thought
the soldiers looked dispirited.
         Very respectfully
             A. Pleasonton
                Brig. Genl

MSS 495