1861 October 2 Camp Longstreet

My dear Wife

As George goes in the
morning, I will send you a few lines
just because I have the opportunity.

Every thing is quiet down here as yet
though we are daily looking for a [fuss?]
President Davis is here & has been surveying
the country round about here. I suppose
with a view to locating a battlefield.
There is a rumor to the effect that a
portion of our forces have crossed into
Maryland. I think it highly probable
it appears to be a part of the plan of
the campaign & I think it would
have been done long since if Lee had
been more successful in western Virginia

George brought me a letter from you--
you seem to anticipate an arrival!
I think of you very often at this very
particular time & wish so much that
I could be with you I am almost
ready to start off at any time, when I
reflect upon your situation, nothing

[page 2]
but a sense of duty to my country
compells me to stay at my post during
the next few weeks, I know that a
furlough would not be granted me
under any circumstances, & the only
way I could get home would be to
resign my commission, a thing that
I should dislike to do at this critical
juncture of affairs, But should my
presence become necessary at home or
should I think so, I should at once
tender my resignation to accomplish
the subject, should other means fail--
I have concluded to send you my
bedstead, I have received orders to
part with all of my superfluous baggage
& I suppose my bed may be considered as
a superfluous appendage--The object
is to be in a condition to move at a
moments warning, I do not know
where I can make a bed on some
forks to keep me up from the ground
I am out every third night on picket
& sleep on the ground without any covering
with a chunk of wood or a stone for
my pillow & sleep as sweetly as if I

[page 3]
was surrounded with all the comforts &
security of home. My thoughts often carry
me back to my dear family, & all the
endearing ties of home, of affection & love,
of those whom I have been so long
associated with in sacred terms of
endearment, while I am laying out on
picket post, under the starry canopy of
heaven, & also being fully alive to the
not very agreeable feeling of yankees seeking
my blood, prowling around me
I never leave camp but what I have
some presentiment that I may be
taken a prisoner--the same old presen-
timent forces itself upon me, that I
am to be captured & should I
be, I suppose all communication
with each other would be cut off
I might possibly be permitted to
return home on parole It has been
done with some but I never would
take the oath If Providence so
directs that my fate should be that
of a captive you must not be uneasy
or alarmed on my account,
for I can get along as well as any of
them, & if I knew that you were not

[page 4]
alarmed, the terrors to me would be
dispelled. I have no apprehension of
any mistreatment after capture, tho
however chaffing it may appear to me
now--I wish you would send me
some envellopes, my stock is exhausted
& there are none to be had down here
I also wrote for some shirt's (two callico
ones) those that I have are about giving
out, I have concluded to wear flannel
shirts this winter, if I can procure them,
if I can get them by the 1st November
it will do, I also think of wearing your
socks, as I expect to be much exposed
It will be better to be provided with
these comforts I will get some
chestnuts & send you, they are not fully
ripe, but will be in a few days---
Give my love to all around you mother
Lill & all--tell Lill I will answer
her letter the first opportunity I get
but she must keep on writing--
Kiss my darlings for me & tell them Papa
thinks very often of them -- they must be
good children. God bless & protect you
prays your very devoted husband
W[illiam] A. Morgan

[left hand margin of page 1]
Tell Daniel if he does not rejoin the company
at once, he will be liable to arrest & fined a months
wages.

[left hand margin of page 2]
I sent 20$ by Mr Hagan I want you to pay off a note of 15$ that Hill
& Billmyer holds--it is the balance of the cooking stove money--Jones traded
the note to Hill, there is no interest on it--or only a few days-

[left hand margin of page 4]
I send you a pr blankets & my epaulets--I have still enough bedclothes
I have written this after night & in a hurry so excuse it--

MSS 1275