Near Richmond June 21
Dear Sister
           I   received your letter & I assure
you it was very welcome  for it was the
first I had received for more than 3 months
and was anxious to hear from Bro H. We were
returned from picket day before yesterday &
brought up here.  We are about a mile from
Richmond on the road leading from Berkeley[?]
in one of the most forsaken looking places I ever
saw.  I havent seen Mr L[?] for a long
time & he  is at his house boarding  with
Mrs McKenney. it is a pretty hard place
to board I ate super with him [?]
& I could get as good a one as I got here
in camp.  meat & bread & rye coffee I can first
rate cook now myself.  Our boy went home
& we have to cook for our selves & can
make as we havent [?] one.  the only
difficulty I have is to make them round
but they are  [?] though when they are
warm We dont get any thing but flour & bacon
to eat now but plenty of that is spoiled
bacon some of it as

[In this letter, dated “Richmond, September 29th, 1862”, John Warwick Daniel, a 1st Lt. and Adjutant of the 11th regiment of the Virginia Volunteers, writes to Governor John Letcher of Virginia]

                         Richmond Sept. 29th 1862.

His Excellency John Letcher,
          Governor of Virginia.
                     Sir:
                                 You may recollect
that about one year ago Brig-
Genl. then Col. Jno. Echols addres-
sed to you a letter recommend-
ding me for promotion in
the Provisional Army of Va. for
“gallant & meritorious conduct”
in the battle of Manassas.
     You expressed regret that you
were unable to confer that
honor as the Provisional Army
of the State was soon to be disban-
ded, but transferred the testimo-
nial to the War Department of
the Confederacy accompanying
it by your own very kind
and warm recommdation [recommendation].
     The Secretary of War upon
receiving the papers tendered
me the appointment of 2nd Lieut.

[page 2]
in the regular C. S. Army, but
being not of age I was compel-
led to decline, and there being
no other vacancy, no farther
action was taken in the
premises.
     I am again about
to apply to the President for
promotion from the rank of
1st Lieut. & Adjutant (a posi-
tion not in the regular line
of advancement) and presum-
ming upon your former favor-
able consideration I venture
to request that you will
again oblige me by your
personal recommendation.
     I have just returned woun-  
ded from the battlefield of
Boonsboro, and hence my
absence from my Command.
     As a voucher of my good
conduct since my credentials
from Genl. Echols were pre-
sented to you, I accompany
this le communication with
a letter from Lt. Col. Lang-
horne of my regiment,  

[page 3]
the only prominent officer
of my command acces-
sible at this time.
              With high regard
                   I am
              Very Respectfully
                 John W. Daniel
                  1st Lt. & Adjutant
                       11th Regmt. Va. Vols.
[page 4]
[Note apparently written by Governor Letcher:]
Lt. J. W. Daniel
asking recom-
mendation for promotion;
cheerfully giv-
en, and sent to
the Sec. of War
Octo 3rd J. L.
1862

[Lt. Col. Maurice Scaisbrooke Langhorne]

John Warwick Daniel, 1842-1910, disabled in 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness, later a University of Virginia graduate, lawyer, U.S. Senator from Virginia and famous orator, known as the “Lame Lion of Lynchburg.}

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 15096


               

Charlottesvile August 29th

My Dear brother
I have only time before
the mail coses to write you a few lines
to let you know how brother Richard is
as I know you are anxious to hear how
he arrived.  He did not get here until yes-
terday as his friends in Orange detain
ed him to stay and was very much
fatigued and exhausted by his journey.
Col Dulaney and Mr Armstead  (a brother
of General Armstead) and a private in
the 6th Cavalry happened to e here to
dinner so we were all in the parlour
and were very much astonished to see
brother Richard drive up in a waggon
It never occurred to us that he was sick
but we thought you were and Mother
and I ran out to meet him.  He instant
-ly enquired how you were but he was
so sick & overcome by fatigue that he

[page 2]
was unable to speak.  Mother was terrified
nearly out of her senses and we had a
real scene.  Dr Akin[?] who is here prescribed
directly for brother Richard and brother
Staige came down to see him in the
evening and the doctor on consultation
gave him some medicine which has
had a beneficial effect already, for
this morning he says he feels better
and the doctor says his pulse is deci-
dedly better. brother Richard advises me
to give his love to you and thank you
for the assistance you gave him in
getting off, and he says he is sorry that
[?] brought off the large brown blanket
which he had intended leaving for your
use.  I hope you will have heard before
this reaches you that your barrels of veg-
-etables have been sent to Culpepper and
that you will be able to get them before
thy spoil.  Jimmy went out to Little run
yesterday and reports all out there as be
-ing well.  In much haste and with
untold love from every body I remain
          your attached sister E.G.D.

[in top left margin of page 1]

I wrote you a
letter the first of
the week which
you received I
hope.

[address leaf]
Mr Eugene Davis
Co [F?] 6th Va Cavalry
near Culpepper

care of
Rev Mr Cole

MSS 2483

August 29th 1862
Belmont Hospital Nelson Co. Va
Friend Kate

I seat my self this morn
ing for the purpose of dropping
you a fiew lines to let you
know where I am.  I have the
Diptheria. My throat is very soar
but I am in hopes that I will
be well in a week or two I
left Camp on the 24th thare
had been but  very little Infantry
fighting but some heavy cannon
nading a cross the river the
enemy seemed to have the advan
tage in position at every ford
We have a very large army in
Culpepper for Pope to contend
with your Brother John was well when
I left the Com. thay ware all in
good spirits when I left.  I
met Jacob Abe & Isack Vines on

[page 2]
Monday Jacob gave me a half
cheese.  Abe told me he had
something to tell me how he
had pulled [or fooled] you out of some
secrets I be glad to se[e] him
& find out what thay are.
I seen John Plunkett in Gor
donsville he  told me that Charles
had a letter for me I am sorry
I did not meet him as he is
so careless he may loose it
before I get back this is
a very mean hospital, very little
accomodations nothing but
bread & meat to eat & my
throat being soar it is very
hard to swallow I wish I could
come home and let Churchman
tend on me a while evry thing
is very ear around hear & thare
is but little change in the
circulation  I have been trying
to get a note Broken ever since

[page 3]
I left the Regt this is a very
lonesome place.  Thare is nothing
of importance to write I hope
these fiew lines may find
you enjoying both health &
happiness I pray the Lords [?]
mercies may soon visit me with
health nothing more but remain
your sincere wellwisher
               W.F.B.

William Francis Brand Co. E 5th Virginia (Augusta Grays) to his future wife Amanda Catherine Armentrout

MSS 11332

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

Friday 29 –  Yankees thought to be
between our wagons and forces.  Sick
with wagons ordered out to protect
wagons.  Cannonading heard to
wards Manassas.  Jackson is
said to be in rear of Yankees

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526

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

(Aug. 29th)  The
fighting was renewed this morning at
10 o’c & in a few minutes we were in the
thickest of it; but our men advancing
with a shout drove the enemy beyond
the railroad cut.  This point they charged
twice during the day but were driven
back with considerable loss each time.
We lost quite a number in killed & woun-
-ded.  Slept on battlefield again tonight.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

[from the diary of Charles Hay of the 23rd Ohio]

Upton’s Farm, Va., Aug. 29.
     We marched here today, eight miles from
Alexandria.  The greater part of the force
around Alexandria moved also, and a battle
is imminent in front.  We passed numerous
forts and defenses, all well manned, designed
for the protection of Washington.  We are
within half a mile of Munson’s Hill,
the same distance from Hall’s Church, 
a station of the Loudon & Hampshire R.R.; 
and between that Road & the Orange and
Alexandria.  This is famous soil now, not
because it is so ‘sacred”, but from the
fact of its being disputed territory for
some time, and subsequently the ‘base of
operations’ for the Army of the Potomac.
     The country bears the marks of former
thrift and luxury, but a vast change has
been effected.  Hardly a fence can be found,
former fine plantations all turned into @
commons, splendid mansions deserted, burned,
used for Head Quarters, or taken for Govern=
=ment purposes.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13925

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

Friday, Aug. 29, 1862

Struck our Tents
placed them on the train
& left our Camp about
8 Oclock marched about
1 1/2 miles & stopped for
a time after which
with several brigades
marched several miles
to ______  where we all
now about to bivouack
We have passed several
Forts passed paralell
& above Washington
mostly clear & very warm
Am not well today have
ate nothing

MSS 10317 

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

 Friday 29th/62

     At Sun rise, we marched
towards Bristol which is four miles
South west of Manassas.  We took this
road because we heard that Jackson
was on the road which went to
Manassas.  We had been gone from
Ganesville but two hours when
Jackson came there in hopes to
capture us, which he would have
been likely to have done if we
had been there.  We haulted at
Bristel a number of hours and then
marched to Manassas.  We haulted
here till nearly night and then
marched to the battle field
of Bull run, having marched
nearly eighteen miles.  Many have
been left along the road side
a great many bare footed.  Most
of the straglers were probably taken
prisoners.  They have been fighting
nearly all day here.  To night our
forces hold the battle field.

 [transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12021

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

Friday 29th  Mr M___ & Eliza have gone off to take a morning
walk–I have at last received my knitting cotton–& Mrs. Watters
has commenced the sock–We have all been together to day in
my room–Sarah has at last received the long looked for
letter from Fred–He has been sick again–Had three or 4
bad fevers–They were at Bolivar 25 miles from D J Mear’s
Mrs Mears sent them word she was coming to see them.

MSS 6960