1861 June 21 Camp Davis

Dear Pa

I am now on the road, where I am going I do n’t
know. We received marching orders at Romney last Thursday even=
ing to leave the next morning at four oclock, we left at five, reached
this place about eleven. This place is called the hanging rock,
near Blue’s Tavern, sixteen miles from Romney. We will leave at four
oclock this evening and expect to camp at the Capron Bridge, about
ten miles from here and I hear Col. Hill will wait there for further orders
from General Johnson. Some of the boys think we are going to
Winchester first & some ot others think we are going to Strasburg
& from there to Manassa[s], but none of us know, I don’t reckon
Col. Hill knows himself. We all hated to leave Romney right
bad, we were very pleasantly situated. The last week we’ve
spent has n’t been like it was at Harper’s Ferry in that
Lutheran Church, we have been seeing right hard times.

While we were at Winchester we were camped in the fairgrou^‘nds’
and were not allowed to go out at all except to wash and
we have been right short of provisions several times, we get
enough now, such as it is. We suffered from heat very
warm and dusty, a great many broke down, Bro. John
had to get in the wagon. Pen walked all the way as well
as my self, Garret said that was n’t like riding on the
cars, he stands the marching very well, but has to get
in the wagon sometimes. When we got within

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four miles of this place yesterday Col. Hill told us we cd
take our time about it ^‘just’ so we got here last night, we all broke
ranks and took it very leisur^’e’ly. Jesse Porter & myself went
to a house on the road & got a very nice sn^’a’ck & then took a
long nap before we got here. After we got yr here yesterday
evening I I went out in the country with Payne & got a very
nice supper, I went again this morning before breakfast & got a
bucket of nice milk, & went again a little while ago & got a buck-
et of buttermilk & a dozen of eggs, so you see we wo n’t
starve. We had a storm last night which came very near
upset[t]ing our tent, we had to get up and hold the tent down
to keep it from blowing away, had to hold it for two hours
& could ^ ‘hardly keep’ hardly hold it down. Bro. John intended writing
but he has gone away with Mr. Ryland to preach for him
tomorrow, about ten miles from here. We’ve just had
orders to be ready to start at half past three this evening,
we will not go more than eight or ten miles to night, start
again tomorrow and camp within five or six miles
of Winchester for several days I expect. I wrote al letter
to Miss Lute Payne while I was at Romney but coul^‘d’
n’t get it mailed before I left. We got yr letter direct=
ed to Winchest[er] while we were at Romney, did n’t get the pap=
er, you need n’t send any more papers as we hardly eve^‘e’
get them. Direct letters to Winchester. We are very well.
Yr devoted & most aff son P. Edloe Jones
Winchester. Louisa Blues. Cap Murray.
13th Virginia Regiment

MSS 13407