1861 Oct[ober] 25 Camp Near Centreville

My Dear Wife

I recd yours of Wednesday last and
although I am in a state of buisy[sic] preparations
for a march in the morning at 7 oclock
I must take time to say that I do not
Expect to be able to send you a letter for
the next three days. that being the time
for which we are ordered to carry Rations
I am not permited to know where I am
bound for until to morrow morning
when I am instructed to report to Genl
Stu[a?]rt for orders. We will be sent on Some
sort of Picket duty probably 5 or 6 miles in
advance of our lines. Gibbons is sick & Major
Walker serving on a general court martial hence
I will be in command without any field of-
ficer to assist me, but I will make two first
rate ones in less then no time out of capts. Sto-
ner & Kinney. I hope to have a pleasant time
& Return safe with all my men--
Tell Jim & Lizzie Papa is very sorry he
cant come & see them & that it is too cold for
them to come & see me. I want to see them
very much indeed and would like to go home
for other reasons, but you see very plainly
my situation & how utterly impossible it
is for me to get a leave of absence
A

even if under the circumstances I could get
my own consent to ask for one.
From your letter I observe that you have
pretty much done Everything preparatory
to your return to Frescatti, to which
place I am anxious you should Return

[page 2]
before we have another Engagement
here which is still anticipated by
our commanders--though from the
proclimation[sic] of Mr Seward some of
us think he is preparing the public's mind
for the Recognition of our independence
on the ground of the absolute necessity of
the case. For instance he sets up a pretense
that Either England or France or both of
them are about to compell the opening
of Southern ports by an invasion of the
north, hence he calls on the Governors
of the Northern States to put all their weak
points on a perfect state of defence--This
being done, then on the slightest offensive
demonstration by Either of these powers he
can very Easy say--well we cant fight
the world, let us make peace with the
South &c This idea is favorably entertained
at Hd Quarters--Yet all is preparation for
a conflict.

I have written hunt[?] a note about
the Yancey house. I cant make him
a deal now because I cant get to an
officer who has power to take my
acknowledgement, I send an agreement
however which if he will sign binds all
parties & which he can keep in his
possession

Write often Love to all
most affectionately
E T H Warren

Frascatti, Jennie Warren's family home near Somerset in Orange County, Va., was purchased in 1841 by her father Captain James Magruder from the widow of the original owner the Supreme Court justice Philip Pendleton Barbour. It is still standing and is on the Virginia National Landmarks Register.

Warren appears to be referring to the Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H. Seward of the previous April blockading Southern ports.