[1861 July 12]

[page 4 of previous letter]
Friday morning
Dear Pa,
As I have a little more time this morning I will add
a postscript. All are swell this morning & everything is as quiet
as possible. I do n’t see anything like moving today, Col Hill
has given orders for everything around camp to be cleaned up & burn[torn]
We may remain here sometime or we may remove at any time, I don’t
know & even if I did know anything about what was going on here
it would be against Col Hill’s orders to write anything about it.
If you he^‘a’r anything of our removal at anytime, you must not be
uneasy about us. I know Ma has made herself very uneasy about us
in the last week, about us I almost know she imagined that we
were all killed. We do have hardship to undergo, but I don’t reckon
we have half as hard a time as you all think we have. We know we are
engaged in a noble cause & therefore bear our hardships willingly and
cheerfully. I wish you could see us take one meal…I heard yester-
day through a letter to Gum Beadles that ^‘from’ Marcelus that Joe. Brooks
was
coming back with him the last of this or the first of next week. I would
be very glad to see Joe. My respects to Cap Anderson & tell him I
will try and find time to answer his letter soon. Love to Lin & tell him
I will answer his letter soon. We are very well, Bro. John & Pen have
never been on the sick list yet, I was on the sick list one day at the
Ferry, have not been sick since. I wish Mr. Thompson wd spend a
week or two with us, I believe it wd be the greatest thing he cd do for his
health…….I’ve just heard through a reliable source that some of our
cavalry had a little skirmish with the Yankees on the edge of Martins=
burg, we took three prisoners, killed two, took several horses & some arms,
they were brought in last night, none of our men were hurt.
Pen & Bro. John unite with me in love to all, kiss the Baby.
Al^‘ways’ direct yr letters to this place, even if you hear we are not here.
write as often as you can to yr fond
son P. E. Jones

Philip Edloe Jones was a private in the 13th Virginia Infantry. Colonel Hill to whom he refers was Ambrose Powell Hill, 1825-1865, who commanded troops under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.

MSS 13407