Camp near Winchester Oct 19
Dear Charles
                     If it will not be too much trouble
to you I will ask the favor of you to attend to
a little business in Richmond for me.  I am
entirely without an overcoat having gotten mine
stolen and am unable to get one in the Army.
I wish you to get me one in Richmond and
send it by some safe hand coming on here as I am
badly off without one.  I send you a requisition
on the Qr Master’s department which will en-
able you to purchase one there for me as Govt.
price or to get suitable cloth & have me one
made.  I leave the requisition blank for either
a coat or cloth as you may find out &  you
can fill it up. I do not care about any thing
fine or costly but warm & as cheap as could be
expected.  I saw some excellent brown English
cloth 2 $2.50 yd from the A M there which would
make an excellent coat gotten by Col Stuart of the
56th Regt.  I want you also to get me cloth from A
M for a pair pants any good cloth & get Donetely to
make them for me as he has my measure & if the over-
coat has to be made get him to do it having my mea-
sure.  I dislike to trouble you but I am so far away
that I cannot get any thing except thro’ a reliable man

[page 2]
I will thank you also to buy me a dark[?] Flannel shirt
as I lack one to make me comfortably.  I reached the
Army the day of the Sharpsburg fight and witness
the most terrible table of the War which was
fought on our side by greatly inferior nos. but
with awful results to the enemy as I believe
their loss greater than we have any account
of and much heavier than in any fight
we have yet had with them.  Our army is lag-
ging still at present no doubt waiting the movements
of the enemy who a few days since came over to Char
lestown & had a skirmish with some of our troops We re-
tired across the river again the same day. Great is
the joy at Braggs success and if as we hear it Kty
is secured to our cause.  He seems to have completely
outgeneraled Buell and to have whipped an im
mense army congregated to crush us out. Nothing
but heavy blows were laid on and constantly repeated
will make the Yankees desist from their hellish
designs against the South.   I think the storm is
bearing North among themselves that will soon
scorch over their land & cause a bloody time a-
mong themselves.
  We have some small pox among the men
in Winchester but they have kept them in close qua
rantine & out of the town.  Only one death has occur-
red that I have heard of from the disease  There is a
great deal of Typhoid Fever and many deaths have

[page 3]
ensued from it.  The condition of the men
in many cases barefooted & naked has caused
sickness tho’ now clothing & shoes are rapidly co-
ming in.  It puts the men in good spirits and the
ranks are rapidly filling up at least 1/3 stronger
or 1/2 more than we had in Maryland.  Our troops
would now make a good fight as they are rested re
freshed been drilled a good deal and are mostly
well armed.  I saw Jno Sears[?] after the Sharpsurg
fight he was well & lost no men I think in
the engagement.  John has wound up pretty
well since he has taken the field and I judge
it goes rather hard with him a she was used
to a life of ease.  Powha[?] I suppose is with Till
ghman in Kty and probably shared the glory of
the recent victory of Bragg.  I hope he was not in
-jured but achieved much honor to himself.
My health has not been good since my ret-
urn having had an attack of remittant fever
which laid me up for sometime.  I am again
afoot tho’ not well the Ellis’ all have [trouble?]with
their lives and mine has been as torpid as a snail
with system [overrun?] with [lice?]  I have heard no
thing from Richd for some time but suppose he is
with Floyd still.  Remember me kindly to Dr [Tasker?]
Mr Tidball [?] [?] & all your [?]
        Very truly yours, &c
                    Jno T. Ellis

[page 4]
P.S.  As I do not know the cost of the
goods I wish I will thank you to settle
the bill & send to me & I will send you a
check for the amo.

[Major] John T. Ellis,  19th Virginia Infantry

MSS 2516

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

Oct 19th    62
Left camp this
moringin at Six
Oclock Near
Clear Springs
at the foot of the
North Mountins
In Washington Co
Md
a Rived at Hancock
at 7 PM and in camp
for the Night

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12913

                Quarantine Camp 3 miles of Rich=
                   mond Monday Oct 19 1862 [sic]
Uncle Jno
             I drop you a few lines to inform you that
I have at last reached the Confederate lines and am
now for the first time treated as a prisoner.  Our
steamer reached Aiken’s Landing yesterday mor=
ning, having on board 214 Confederates, most of
whome were wounded men.  There we met at the
wharf another steamer with probably as many more
prisoners who had arrived the day before but

had not yet been paroled About sunset our
transportation train arrived so that we were per-
mitted to land & getting into the carts & wagons
about 300 of us who were wounded were started to
Richmond, but to our surprise were driven through
the city out here to an encampment where we
are now under close guard. not permitted to leave
the grounds Of course we were all indignant at
this treatment & many a hard oath has been
sworn at hte party, whoever he is, responsible for
this seemingly inhuman treatment, Here we are
in cold, uncomfortale tents to suffer in our present
condition, many of the men with their death wounds
upon them. Last night I was so chilled I had actually
to leave my tent & go out to get some comfort by
a neighboring fire. & have not time to analyze upon
this matter.  It has put me quite out of  [touch?] Now
what do you supose all this has been done for? Some
foolish man among the prisoners started a villanious
rumor about having been where small pox was
what the rumor was I don’t know—Finally I have been
so fretted about the think that I don’t want to know.
However the rumor is believed by the attending physician
to be utterly without foundation.  But the Richmond
authorities got wind fo the rumor, and s a consequence

[page 2]
we are all out here in quarantine–to die & go to Har
ry scratch for all we are cared for by those in power at Rich
mond.  The matter ought to be unvestigated.  We have been
teated most inhumanly–I will not say more
about it, except that we are promised to be sent
off in six or seven days if no cases of small pox appear.
& if any does appear of course we are here for time indefinite
If we die during the seven days ordeal it makes no
difference of course; I would give anything to get to Peters-
burg or to Orange.  I can only indulge a hope that at some
future day–the Lord only knows when–I will al-
lowed to leave this place. I shall go immediately to Petersburg.
Tell Mr Fisk[?] & cousin Sarah that unless like the officers
here they have lost all sympathy for suffering soldiers–I will
be glad to accept their many kind invitation to make their
house their home until I can make arrangements to go to Orange
My wounds continue to improve & I can get about a
little with my crutch & stick.  Until getting to this
abominable place I have spent a most delightful
time-particularly in Baltimore, where we met friends
by the dozens. I have not time to enter into particulars
I would like to see you–If you can do so conveniently
come over some morning.  If not write to me. I have
not heard a word from home since August the 20th. Send
this letter to Pa. I would write to him, but have not the
paper, What has become fo Brother? Was Dick hurt
much at the battle of South Mt?  Tell me the news
Direct letter care of Dr A. S. Cousins 3 Division Winder[?] Hospital Richmond Va. He is
one of our attending physicians.  Give my love to Sister
& all my friends.  Write or come over as soon as you can.
                                         Yr friend
                                                   George S. Bernard

Camp near Manchester Oct. 19th 1862

My Dear Phill & Sister
I feel very
tired today having been on duty last
night as Officer of the Guard and they
being pickets I was up until about one
oclock when I carried round the relief.
It is the hardest company to manage I ever
saw in my life the Capt. had two of them
bucked and gagged yesterday and I expect
we will have one or two of them to shoot
before long.  I am left today in command of
the company as he has gone to town although
the first Lieutenant Ballard is here which
shows me that he has confidence in me.
Uncle John was in Richmond the other
day he is now Colonel I believe, and sais
if he can get the place of 1st Lieut. or
Captain he is going to write to me imme-
diately t come on he thinks he can get
me the place as regular Aid de Camp to
General Williams I hope he may as it will
be a much better position than the one I now
occupy among these mutinous rascals.  I
missed seeing my sweetheart Miss Carrie by
one day she was at Mr. Holladay’s the day
before I came down and went off home with
her father on the next day  I dont mind
telling you all my sweetheart for I think
you both will like her I know sister does anyway
she is the only girl that I would be willing
to marry and I am afraid that will never

[page 2]
be as she cares nothing for me in my
opinion but we wont say any more at present
on this subject as it is humbug to talk to
you married people about sweethearts as you
will laugh at me.  I heard today that Miss
Jennie Holladay has been taken worse and
is very sick indeed I am very sorry  I would
like to go over there but I dont like to
leave Captain Rodgers often as we have our
hands full, I expect to drill the men
some tomorrow and have been reviewing
my tactics today I have not forgotten much
I must now say goodbye  remember me
to Mr Cabell and believe me as ever your
affectionate brother
                                 Richard M. Bolling

P.S.  Direct to the care of Capt.Rodgers box
340

Richard M. Bolling, 4th Virginia Cavalry

MSS 38-111

Bakersville Maryland Oct 19th 1862

Dearest Mother, I have Just come in from Religious services & as I thought
you would like to read A Chapter from the one that our Chaplain took his
text from the 14th Chapter of Romans & the seventh verse which I thought
was a very good text He is one of the Chaplains that I know that you wo
uld like I am well & never enjoyed better better[sic] health in my life which
I hope is the case with you & the rest at Home give my love to Edward & tell
him that I hope that he is well enough to get about & hope that I shall have
A Chance as he said of seeing him once more but as i am there is no knowing
wether we will have the opportunity but you & him must remember that if we
do not have the opportunity as there is no knowing when we shall be called
into battle & if I should be one of them that should fall Remember I fell doing
my duty & that I never deserted the regiment at the time of its going into battle
as I have been in every engagement that the regiment has but I do not think there
there will be any more battles fought by the Potomac Army this Winter but I think we
will be in Winter Quarters before A Fortnight comes round yo[u] tell Father that
the Quartermaster has Just arrived from Washington he said that he was the
Paymaster & he told Him that he could not pay off the Brigade before the 15 of next
Month as there was not money enough in the treasury at Washington as they have had
to pay the new Regiments so you tell him I cannot send not till then when I
will certainly send some the Division has lost General Slocum as he has been
assigned to take command of General Burnsides Corps, as he has been assigned to
take command of one of the expeditions that are getting up to go against Charles
town & Savannah as he done so well last Winter I will now close this by saying
that I shall write to William next then Henry, write to you by turns, from
Your Son Joseph Leavitt

[letters of Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York, were copied into a ledger at the end of the war by their father John as a remembrance of his sons both of whom died in the war, George at Second Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania]

MSS 66

[from the diary of Lt. John Tyler, of Letcher’s Artillery]

(Oct 19th)
Another pleasant Sabbath morning.  Feel as well
as did yesterday, sat up.  Mr & Mrs Braden have gone
over to Mrs Pusey’s.  No service to day in our little church.
Hear that Mr Milton by whom sent last letters has not gone.

Spent morning reading the church service for
today, & conversing with Miss L – Mrs P- and
Mr Gregg, the latter called on me & spent a
part of the morning.  Passed afternoon in con-
-versation with Mrs. P- & Miss L- We had
a heavy shower this afternoon lasting
‘till nearly dusk.  Heard some little firing.
At twilight Mr & Mrs B- & the children retur-
-ned; before the horses of his carriage were un-
-hitched servant who had been sent in morn-
-ing after a seamstress some 6 or 7 miles off rode
up and said the horse on which Miss Paxton
has been riding with him, had become frigh-
-ened by her trying to raise an unbrella on
him & had thrown her cutting her head and
injuring her severly.  Mr B- sent his carriage
after her, and soon had her brought up, she
is hurt quite badly but we hope not serious-
-ly. – Mrs P- Miss L- & Jeannette passed the evening
in my room.  Do not feel as well this evening as
did this morning, & have felt through the day.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

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

Sunday  19th –Go to Church to day
a priviledge I do not often enjoy

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526

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

     Oct. 19th, ’62.
This morning about 3
o’clock, 50 men of our
brigade arrived here
on their way to Leba-
non Ky. whence they will
guard our train to our
camp. They report our
reg’t. encamping last night
13 miles from here on
the road to “Wild Cat”,
where it is thought the
rebels will make a
stand. Cloudy and
chilly this morning.
Don’t feel so well

to day as I did yes-
terday. Although near
a church, this Sabbath
is likely to be spent as
most soldier’s Sabbath, –
as other days.
This is a dreary lone-
ly place, a fit habita-
tion for bats, owls & se-
cessionists. The residents,
who come into camp
to sell things to the sol-
diers, & claim to be Un-
ion men, are a sorry
set, poorly clad &, appa-
rently, not half fed.
They say they are form-

ed into companies –
calling themselves
“Home Guards”’ hav-
ing a rendezvous, &
mustering & drilling
there periodically, &
carrying on a sort
of guerilla warfare.
They may honestly
entertain union sen-
timents; but I fear
many of them are
like an old man to
whom I was talking
a few days since, who
said “men were some-
times compelled to

change their coats”.
I’m inclined to the opin-
ion that, in general, their
sentiments are materi-
ally dependent upon the
character of the nearest
army. Very sick
all afternoon & at night.
Have a very severe di-
arrha – scarcely able
to walk. Tobacco & cof-
fee have an unnatural
taste, being more like
medicine than any thing
else. Remained here
all day & night.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm            

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

Sunday, Oct. 19, 1862

Lay about sleeping
& doing nothing all
day.  Very impatient
to hear what we
will do
Mostly cloudy cool
Cold night

MSS 10317