1861 October 13 Camp near Fairfax C H

My Darling Wife –
I have received your last letter, and will devote
an hour of this quiet Sabbath to giving you one in return for
it. I am very sorry to hear, that having spared your team so long
they have called for it at last. I had hoped they would let it alone
in consideration of my absence from home in the service of the
state, and, consequently, my inability to provide means of supplying
its place, as others who have remained in the county can.
It is nearly equivalent to a loss of our wheat crop besides
the great injury the horses must sustain in such a trip.
For them I feel a sort of attachment as for every thing else at home
and should hate very much to see them injured. I participate
in your gratification at the arrival of another calf on the premises
and the prospect of more milk & butter. [A hole in the page makes “&” a guess.]
[The left side of the page is missing the beginning of four lines and hence, a few words are lost.]
[We] are having here a very quiet and dull time. The fault I
[---] with my present position is that I have so little to do.
[---]Jackson has been promoted again and is now a Major
[Gen]eral. It is indeed very gratifying to see him appreciated
so highly and promoted so rapidly. It is all well merited.
We have I think no better man or better officer in the
army. I do not know to what position he will be assigned.
But this Brigade will part with him, with very much
regret. I shall be very reluctant to leave my place in his
Staff for any other position

[page 2]
[-]m sorry to inform you on the money question that I am dead
broke and gratified to say that I do not expect it to continue
many days. I have about $300 pay due me from the Government
and sent by a friend who went to Richmond a few days since to
draw the money, but he has not returned.
I enclose a note to WmWhite requesting him to furnish you
with such amount as you many need at present. He will do it
I doubt not very cheerfully. He received soon after I left home
some $250 proceeds of the lead pipe taken by the states & after keeping
$120 of interest which I owed him there remained some $130.
I directed him out of this to pay the $30 which you had borrowed
to furnish you with as much more as you might need, and apply
the balance to my account at the store. This account was not large
as I had paid him all I owed up to the first of January last.
I did not expect you to settle the bills for boots, coat, &c but in
my note to Mat stating what I wanted, directed him to request
Wm to settle them. In my [hole in letter] him enclosed I have requested
him to call on all of the parties of who have furnished
the articles and pay the bills of all who want the [edge of page torn]
My salary is $125 per month which will be suffi [edge of page torn]
to pay our expenses, even if you should make nothing on the f[edge of page torn]
More than this my eye has very much improved & I think when
the war is over I will have sufficient use of it for any ordi
nary business – Now Love my half sheet is finished and
I will bid you good – Say to Mrs Fuller I see Sam frequently & he is very well
Kiss the children for me & think of me often
Ever Yours E F Paxton

University of Virginia alumnus E[lisha] F[rank] "Bull" Paxton commanded the 27th Virgina Infantry and later the entire "Stonewall Brigade." He is one of the 29 known U. Va Confederate generals.

MSS 2165