1861 Sep[tembe]r 18 Camp Blair [Virginia[

Will Chrisman has just arrived with
a bag of nice tomatoes for which I must thank
Ellis--Will says he saw you the evening before
he left that you were well & had writ[t]en
me a letter which you had mailed & which
I will get to night--I sent you a letter to day
by Mr Wartman telling you that David was very
much better and we think out of danger
the ball evidently did not touch either the
stomach or lungs--I expect your father back
to night, David being out of danger he can be
of no use to him & is entirely to restless & too
talkative to be near any one who must be
kept quiet--so I concluded to send for him
to day & will look for him to night and
will keep this open to give you the latest
news from him--I will look for you
when Mr Boyd comes but dont know whet-
her he will come on sunday or monday
or I would try & have some conveyance there
for you in the event you fail to get a pass
I advise you to go with Mr Boyd to Major
Bayles the man that issues the pass and
demand one to come & see David--you are
the only sister he has who can come to him
& have the right to a pass--If he refuses you
get on the train &come any how--I cant
safely meet you at Manassas & must therefore
leave you to the care of Mr Boyd--If when
you get here I am absent with the Regi-
ment> you will find in my tent a note
saying where I am--If at Munsons or Uptons

[page 2]
I will have my horse & an escort here for
you & you can come on to Falls church
but must first get a pass from Genl
Johnston whose Hd Quarters are on the
Road. I have just ascertained that Wartman
will not get home until day after tomorrow &
that consequently you will not get my letter
intended for your perusal in the morning--here
after I will rely on the mail entirely--to relieve
any anxiety you may feel in regard to David
I sent you a telegraph dispatch--there is beyond
question great activity in the movement of our
troops. Each day Regiments & Brigades are sent
down to the line & beyond the line we in fact
have occupied since the battle of manassas--Genl Jack-
sons Brigade is now between here & Fairfax ct House
Others have been sent in advance. From this
on I dont expect to have to go to Manassas as
often as heretofore--partly because we are now nearer
than we were & partly because Genl Elzey has pro-
tested against the continued hard duty imposed
on us. when you come down I hope to be
able to go with you to Falls church & then
take you down & give you a view of the Yankey
camp & the firing between the pickets--you can
see them plainly from Manassas.

Saturday night Your father has just returned
from Falls church and gives a favorable account
of David. The surgeon is of opinion that the stomach
is not injured and David is cheerful free from
fever, but still the wound is a very bad one
& very dangerous if not carefully attended-but
with proper care & attention, which he has
& his good constitution the chances are
in his favor--My love to all
affectionately E T H Warren

In the "Our Confederate" column of the Richmond Times Dispatch for 1908 April 19, H. E. Magruder of Keswick, Va., wrote:
"David (MAGRUDER), the youngest [of five brothers in the Confederate Army]... never recovered, though lingered a contorted cripple until after the war."

There are no more letters from Edward to Jennie until October 19, presumably because she had come up to Camp Blair to nurse her brother.


MSS 7786-g