1861 August 20 Camp at Greenbryer River

Dear Father

I was much gratified at
receiving a letter from you, as I was somewhat
uneasy respecting the health of you all at
Berry Hill. I hope Charlie will soon be
well enough to join his Regiment, as
they are about to make a forward movement
We attempted an enterprise here last Fryday
Col Rusk of Arkansas was sent with twelve
hundred men through the by-ways of Cheat
mountain to get in position on the flank
of the enemy, whilst we were to advance
in front. We were called up about one o-clock
at night, and marched about eight miles
to the top of Cheat Mountain to within
two miles of the enemies Camp, but
hearing nothing of rusk, like the French
king we marched down again, having

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done nothing more than to drive in and
frighten the pickets of the enemy. We heard
this morning that Col. rusk had lost his
way, and is now returning having also
having failed n every thing except to
fatigue his men dreadfully. It seems to
have been a little enterprise planned by Gen.
Jackson, and so deeply planned that nobody
here has been able to see the object of it.
When we left Monterey, there was so much
measles in the army that we had to leave
eighteen men behind sick of it, those we
brought with us are almost recovered from
it. Our company numbers in all sixty
three men here and at Monterey, we lost
fourteen men prisoners at Rich mountain
The rest I hear privately, have been sent
home by the doctors at Richmond or
Staunton, wither by discharge or furlow.
These last I have nothing to do with, The Doctors
who sent them away are responsible for the,,
and I still report them absent sick in those
places. I received some days ago a letter from
Halifax without any name signed to it
charging me with harshness and tyrany toward

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toward my company, inattention to the sick
particularly in not marching my company
home to recruit, and for petty heroicks
in being given to desperate enterprises with
out regard to the valuable lives of my
company, which were not at all to be put
in the ballance with the yankie hoard &c,
written I suppose by some of the same people
who have been complaining to you of me.
The rash enterprises he must [have] hatched in his
own brain. For our only rashness consisted
in marching so fast from Rich mountain
as to be in danger of breaking our valuable
necks, and which I did my best to restrain
not encourage. You can assure all anxious
enquireres that there is not the least danger
of our being hurt in the way of Rashness
in advancing on the enemy, I received
a letter from Maria Sunday. She was well
except a head-ache from her ride on the cars
to Richmond. She is on her way to Fauquier.
I am very well, though Tom is some what ill
from our march yesterday morning and the
night before. I hope he will soon be well
again and ready for another enterprise

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which I hope may be better advised

Your affectionate son

Wm. B. Bruce

Captain, Co. K, 20th Virginia Infantry
MSS 2692