1861 October 1 Camp near Fairfax Court House

My dear little Nannie:
I have not written to you since
Saturday last, on the evening of which day we were
ordered to join Genl Walker (in command of a Louisiana
Brigade of three regiments) and accompany him in making
an “ostentatious demonstration” along the Potomac River
the object of which I presume was to draw as
many Federal troops in that direction as possible
preparatory (perhaps) to an early movement on our
part in another direction – We first found a body
of the enemy in a very large house on the op[p]osite side
of the river at the Great Falls; quite a number in a
very large house & the remainder in tents near by – We
opened our whole battery upon them at once and
it was realy funny to witness them scampering out and
away in every direction except nearer to us – [word lined out]
We threw one hundred and one shot & shell at them
doing considerable damage to the house & without a
return of our fire from them we limbered up and
showed ourselves on the river ^ ‘above’ to two other large
Yankee bodies of men and then started for this

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place where I have taken time only to eat before
commencing to write – The map I sent you
I find to be pretty correct except that the
Great Falls of the Potomac are only fourteen miles
above Washington & the Little Falls are only a
short distance above Georgetown – We were no
higher up the Potomac than a point fourteen
miles from Leesburg – I guess the Yankees
will magnify our number to 30,000 to 40,000 –
I hope they may – I suspect the object of
the movement was to divert the attention of
the enemy from the lower Potomac to enable us
to go into Maryland by means of boats now in
our possession ^ ‘on the’ of the Ocoquan River –
The Yankees have advanced to Falls Church
about six miles from this place – Their balloon can be
seen from the Court House nearly all the time – Prest.
Davis arrived here yesterday and if McClelland wants
to fight he has only to move forward a little more
& I think he will be accommodated -
I understand that poor Jim Chalmers
died to day from a wound on Sunday while on picket
duty – I hope the report is not true – I would call
to see him but for fatigue from the last three
days almost constant marching –

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I was very much disappointed in failing to
find two or three letters from you on my arrival
here to day – I hope and trust you are not unwell –
Grey Latham has not yet returned –
It may be necessary but I regret the necessity
for his staying at home so long – a good deal
of dissatisfaction with Folker prevails in the Company
and Grey’s presence would silence the men –
You must generously deal with this
hastily written scrawl – I am very tired and
have nothing else to communicate –
Give my love to all at home and
believe me to be
Very affectionately
Your Own
Choctaw
Please don’t state that I say that Chalmers
is dead – I don’t know that it is true –

William A. King, Captain of the Saltville Light Artillery

MSS 6682