[1861] August 18 Camp Pickens

[With many thanks to historian Rick Britton for the following commentary on the letter below]

William Johnson was a 20-year-old farmer when he enlisted on May 1, 1861, at Massies Mill in Nelson County, Virginia. His older brother Albert Alexander Johnson signed up on the same day. When mustered in on May 20 at Manassas Junction, Johnson's unit, under the command of Capt. Thomas M. Boyd, became Company G—the "Nelson Grays"—of the 19th Regiment Virginia Volunteers. In August of 1861—one month after the Battle of Bull Run—William Johnson wrote the following letter while stationed at Camp Pickens. In it he sends his love to his family and neighborhood friends, but he also jokingly refers to the battle the 19th Virginia had participated in (albeit briefly). "We cant here much from the yankees," he writes. "Now I dont expect they will try Bull run again shortly. It is a small stream But hard for a yankee to Cross."

Most of the letter, however, is about what every 20-year-old soldier boy thinks and dreams about in every war in every century—the girls back home. "We Would like to here from Eny of them at Eny time," he writes, perhaps including his brother's sentiments. "[T]he girls surtinly Cant be ingaged in courting for there is NO men left Now [that] the milisia [militia] is Called out. ___ tell the girls Not to get married till We felows get back and ^give us a chance for Everyone wif us is Determined to get a Wife as soon as We get back."

William Johnson remained with the Nelson Grays until he was listed as missing in action—and presumed killed—on July 3, 1863. On that day, the third day of fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg, the 19th Virginia participated in Pickett's Charge, suffering 168 casualties—39 percent of its 426 officers and men—in just over one hour. The Nelson Grays lost half of the 60 men who marched across that fateful field. William Johnson never got home, and never got a wife. For his poor family the grief must have been overwhelming—brother Albert Alexander Johnson had been killed in action at Gaines's Mill on June 27, 1862.





Dear father and mother and brothers and
sistres i take this opportunaty of writing you a
few lines this leves us all well. Except fenwick[?]
he is complaning a littel. Not very sick. all
the rest of the boys is vell. i truly hope these few
lines may fin you all well and injoying
your selvs and all the rest of the Neighbors
We have Nothing of importence to rite to you
all att this time. times is very quiet with us.
We cant here much from the yankees Now
I dont expect they will try Bull run agan
shortly. it is a small streem. But hard for
a yankee to cross. We ar station at Centerville
agan. We moved here last sunday. We ar stati
on the oppersit side of Centerville to Whare We
Was When you Was down here. We cant tell
how long We Will stay here We got orders
a day or two ago to be reddy to march but
We have herd Nothing more since. Now[?]
We may stay here some time as We may
Not to day Was our day in Cars the move
but it is ranining and I hardly see can
We Will move today and as it is raining
We ConCluded to spend a few ours in
Writing you all a few lines to let you
know how We are getting on. We are geting
on pretty Well We are still garding this
large Citty We just Came off of gard
this morning. We have Eat our old hen
We Was furfull that We would have to
move and leve her and thourght it best
to kill her. We Would [all?] lake very
much for you to up bin here to take

[page 2]
some supe With us i tell you it Was fine
We dident have to boil her mor than a day
and a half. i Want you all to rite to us and
give us all the News and let us know that
has becum of all the girls I hardly can
they are in the malisia they must be som
Whare We cant here from the thare Was a
good meny of them that promist to write
to us but We cant get Enything from them
maby paper is scurs if it is tell them to give us
a few lines on some brown paper.
We Wold like to here from Eny up there
at Eny time. the girls surtinly cant be
ingaged in courting for thare is No men
lef Now the malisia is called out [?] tell
the girls Not to get marred tull We felows get
back and give us a Chanch for Every one of
us is Deturmend to get a Wife as soon as
We get back we Want to get Commence mary
ing the [?] We get back and Continue
till Every one of us has got a Wife and all
them vacant houses will be filled. We Want
you to speek to J.R. loving for all his houses
We Will take all his vacant houses and
build some and if the girls Want to mary
they Will surtinly be courtted and if the wont
marry it Will be thare falt as it has allways
bin. they shant then lack for an oppertunaty
Whend We get back if they Want to mary then
Will be the time. We have a pretty good time
down her Now we can get plenty of [?] yers to
Eat We have some fine pots[?] of [?] some times
We [?] first trat We get plenty of meat and bread

[page 3]
and sugar and coffee if We could get some
frut to mak pies We could live as Well as heart
Could Wish, but We cant get Eny thing of the
sort here. Nither appels Nor petches i Want you to
put up plenty of apels and if We cant Eat em
before you can save them till We get maried
and give us a big [?] and tell Bob Kidd also
to keep that brandy tell them We Want to be thare
When he brottles it and take a big drink Just
before We start after our livens[?] then We Will all have
to get a Wife and all of us setled around there and
live Clost Neighbors to Ech other and then i think
few Will Ever Exist or a turabel pursone i Cant
tell Which you all must give our love to all the
people up there Esp4ecialy the girls give our Best
resoecks to Jo Kidds girls and tell them to rite
to us we are doing to promis give our best respecks
to aunt aggy and aunt fany and to all the rest of
the Neighbors give our best respeks to grandfarther
and grandmother both grand mothers and
to all bobs famly and and all his family tell
all the peopel to rite us a few lines We ar happy
to here from Eny up there Dan sends this love to
you all and to his floks he has gotten Will Bank
sens his love to you all and to all his folks. all
the boys join in sending there Best respeks toyou all and
to all in quiering friends i wmust now close
by saying We remane as Ever your devorted
children till Deth William Johnson
and brothers
P.S. give our love to all the Childran and
Exceppt a portion you self. rite soon good By

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Jim Derar sir i Will rite you a few lines to let you know
how We are geting a long. Well Jim i tell you
We could injoy ourselves furst trat if i was
surtin there Would be no more fighting. Not
as i am a friad to fight but i tell you thare
is Not much fun in fighting. Whare the balls
Was flying around like they was at manasa
four Weeks ago to day. We Would like to see you
all very much But it is a bad chanch to
get upp i Would like to get up thare to get
as many peches and apels as i could Eat Jim
give my love to farther and mother and cate
tell Cate i rote to her a day or two a go and Will
Write you soon. give my love to your mother
and all the rest of the people in the Neighbber
hood and especially the girls all that you
see and those that you cant see you can send
Word to remmember my best respecks to
John and Cinthy and bob Kidd and his fam
ly. give my love to all the Childrun and
except a potion for youself. you must [word lined through]
Excuse our short leter We Will rite more next
time. We Will Write a famly letter Next time
I must Now [c]lose by saying i remane your
brother till Deth. A. R. Kidd to James Johnson
Write to us soon and Derect your letter
to manasa in the Care of Captin boyie [?]
of the 19th regerment of virginia
valenteers
good by for this time

MSS 8474-ab