1861 Aug[ust] 16 Headquarters 5 Brigade Centreville [Virginia]

My dear sister

Yesterday I received at Manassas
your kind & affectionate letter. I found the box also
at Manassas, and we got that brought over last
night and have its most acceptable contents now
added to our otherwise scant camp stores--
What touches my heart most in all this my
dear sister, on the consideration that at the
very moment you are parting with your
husband to take his part in this cruel war
you are still mindful of me that you have
thought & care & time for others at such a
moment--But your whole unselfish life
should have taught me--that such a moment
would be the way in which the unbounded
and all pervading sympathies of your nature
would gush forth in unbounded profusion
throughtout the whole sphere of life & friends
for which it has ever been you study and your
part to live, to cheer and to make happy.

I mean not to flatter--but I say from the fullness
of my conviction and my heart that you are
one of the women of which our glorious South
has so many & so noble--who can not fail
to [raise?] up men who will never be conquered

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who may be exterminated but who will die fighting
worthy of the pure and noble women who will ever
regard disgrace & dishonour as far worse than
death--But my sister let me not oppress
you with these grave thoughts-that have been
inspired at the moment by the little token
of your noble nature--valued for the moral
they carry, the sympathies they awaken,
the recollection of [?] home they stimulate
in the midst of the rude scents of war
which surround us---

I have had no letter from Charles since he marched
for Richmond with his company--He has chosen
a very useful & efficient arm of the service
and I trust will in time wield it with effect
should the war be protacted--Our confederate
artillery in the late great battle did far more
[execution?] owing to the bravery coolness & skill of our
men and officers--than did that of the enemy
not withstanding he was much more numerous
well appointed & far shooting

I must tell you that the great battle was
fought not at "Manassas" but five miles from the
place of that name and so the ground occupied pre-
vious to & up to the beginning of the battle solely by my
own brigade I command ^'other portions of the army coming up [?]' I was myself under
fire of artillery or small arms from the beginning

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to the end of the battle--John was also the whole
time either at my side or carrying orders from one
part of the field to another and always under
fire, sometimes of the hottest character--The
sound of flying cannon & musket balls is familiar
to our ears and yet we escaped untouched--
This was but one of the thousand [?]
[?] [?] when manifested in that glorious
battle & victory--

In time you will have a full & true account of
the battle--the news paper writers are now
puffing themselves and their friends--and giving
many false & erroneous accounts of the battle--
I have sent in my report to Genl. Beauregard
of the part taken by my command--a full report
in 21 pages of letter paper and a synopsis of the
full report in four pages--In time this will
be published--I preserve a copy of this for
my own family & friends --now deposited with
my friend Mr Wm. H. Macfarland at Richmond
for safe keeping--

I know not when if ever I shall return
home-- it has been my fortune to be placed
in the front line here from the beginning--First in
Alexandria & since that time with Genl Beaure-
gard's advanced forces--The enemy has
been greatly demoralized by the defeat--but is

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no doubt renewing his efforts to recover and to carry
on the war with all his might--On our side similar
preparations of course are going on--

Let the women and the men of the South continue
to do their parts in the heroic spirit already
manifested and the result may confidently
left to the hands of that just & overruling
Providence Who so far has so clearly mani-
fested his power on our side---

With love to all our dear ones at
Bremo I remain dear Lucy

very affectinately
yr brother
Philip St Geo Cocke

Mrs. L.C. Cocke
Bremo

MSS 640