1861 November 15 Camp near Centreville

[This letter begins on the 15th. Pages 5 and 6 were added on the 16th.]

My darling Jennie

Having nothing just now to engage my
attention for better employment I commence
a letter to you. The day is cold & damp with
every now and then a little rain, making it
any thing but agreeable to be out and I
am therefore not only satisfied but glad
to be able to remain in my tent.

I heard this morning the most horable[sic]news
from H.B b. which I hope for the sake of decency
may turn out to be untrue. It is stated that
no less than four young girls in the town
are pregnant. Of one I expected it & am not
at all surprised, but of the others I cant think
without a shudder. They are Mary Smith the
Post masters oldest daughter, Woodwards oldest
daughter- Mary Rogers, who does not surprise me
and Mary Shands. Of this latter I hope there
are grounds for unbelief--The report does
not seem to be so well founded. And from
all accounts if there are not others it is not
because they have not had the chance. Have
we here some of the home[?] fruits of this
war. I was in hope that the democratization
which always follows a war would be con-
fined to the men male population, that the
inate[sic] purity of our girls would at least
protect them from all harm, but it seems not.
For not only in H.B. but in other places
have this vice has exhibited itself--I have
heard of girls of Culpeper & Richmond permitting
young invalid soldiers to take the most indecent

[page 2]
liberties with their persons, such indeed as must
instantly end in lewdness. In almost every
little village in the Valley I hear that girls,
especially the daughters of mekhan mechanics
have been led estray[sic] by invalid soldiers
and must soon bear the fruit of their easy
manners--and what is worse still the wives
of some of our soldiers have not behaved as
they should, but their lot is confined to
the lower class on the one side, while on
the other a villian at home too cowardly
to fight has been the guilty party. I
ought not to write to you of such things
but really it has so disturbed me that
I cant help it. And what frets me the more
is the fact that the disgrace has been brought
on us as a people by the utter folly of
our own citizens. No sooner had the southern
soldiers entered Virginia then all the men
women & children of the state voted every man
of them a gentlemen, so true was this
that to wear a guilt buton[sic] was a pass-
port to every gentlemans house and to
every cu foolish young girls heart--no in-
troduction was required or asked for, and
so anxious were the ladies, that by hun-
dreds they flocked to every Depot along
the lines of our R Roads with boquets
smiles & saucy compliments to the rog[ue?]
soldiers--Of course the vicious amongst
them, of which there was a majority,
were not slow to appreciate such atten-
tions nor to make excuses to get out
of the Army into the vacinity of a section

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whose beauty was so lavish of her smiles and
so free & ready to invite vulgar approaches.
And now again our foolish people were
ready to give the vicious soldier the
very chance he wished for--At every town the
entire community was clamorous for
the establishment of a military Hospital--The
ladies sent in petitions & the men complained
of the Government & so the thing was done
Now all this was well enough-but no
sooner did the sick & pretended sick begin
to arrive, then did our ladies begin to
tender them services as nurses--And now
look into one of your R Road Hospitals and
what a disquieting sight greets you--Do you
see old matrons--yes now & then but
the large majority are young girls some
not much over 15 summers & quietly look-
ing up at the disgusting scenes enacted by
a set of sick rabal[sic] soldiers--Here one
on the stool & there another--Here one
with his person exposed while his wound
is being dressed--perhaps by a young lady
Here one & there another under the
influence of a fevered brain utters the
most disgusting oaths & obscene language
to greet the ears of ladies who have
never heard anything not accustomed
to be heard in polite society And all
this is transpiring in the presence
of young & reckless Doctors & well young
men & old men who are present from
motives of curiosity or to see a sick
friend. Nor is this all--the village

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accomodations small at best are insufficient for the
crowd thus brought together and every house
is thrown open to everybody--Girls young
men & old men & all dames[?] are crowded togeth
er in the same house where it is impossible
for the girls not to be occasionally exposed in
undress and I have heard of at least one
instance where a parcel of young girls
& men have occupied the same home with
not a married person present & they had
to pass through each others rooms, at least
they did--and now remember that all
this promiscuous mingling together of the
sexes-of good & bad occurs under a very
highly excited state of public mind, Pa
Parents are intent on the condition of
the country--Fathers absent from home
in the army or in the way of it. Girls
have left their home & its restraints
under the fool romantic idea that
they must put a clean shirt on some
young vagabond soldier--Moonlight walks
occur--crazy ideas of romantic adven-
ture with a soldier boy--then gentle
whisperings of pretended love--then a
gentle yielding to a gross familiarity
which is bad enough - but who can be
surprised if worse comes--Such are
the scenes which have been enacted in
Virginia--Eastern as well as the valley--this
summer--with the poor foolish girls of the
valley the results are beginning to be ap-
parent--The entire sex & the entire community
is about to be utterly demoralized with oc-

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cassional instances of utter degradation such
as I have mentioned--It was the proud boast of
Eastern Virginia at any rate that her society
was of the purest & most refined order. For
my part I looked upon them all as like my
own wife who had never ever an im-
pure thought--But this war will entail
upon us a condition of demoralization
from which we will not recover for
years & probably never--Dont understand
me as believing for a moment that such
instances as I have mentioned will be
general--I think they will be now
but the bad influence which will be
& has been exerted will be almost uni-
versal--I am glad to know that none
of our friends or relatives have made
fools of themselves running after the
sick soldiers and I hope never to
hear of it. For the truth is a very large
number of the Southern soldiers are
nothing but an idle lot of vagabonds
at home and are vastly worse here--
Dont breath a word to any one of
the reports about the H B girls for
I somehow hope it may yet turn
out to be false and I dont want to
be a party to the circulation of so
vicious a slander--
We are having a heavy blow of wind
to day Saturday which I hope is doing
Lincolns fleet some harm-for it is
certainly in con venient to us--I received
your letter yesterday full of sweet professions

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of love for your old man and begging for him
to come & see Jennie who wants to have some
long talks with him all to herself--I do
honestly believe my darling Pet has serious
designs on my peace of mind--Such profes-
sions do make me so lonesome & remind
me so forceably that my place is not here
in the Tent but by Jennies side--with love
for a break[?] 7 kisses for desert. I am
very tired of this lonely sort of life and
this thing of going shivering to bed
and shivering all night by myself, when
I have a dear pretty wife who could
keep me so nice & warm and who
begs so sweetly for my return--well
darling where there is a will there
is a way and as we both have the
will I am certain it cant be long
before we will find out the way to
spend a couple of weeks together--I
cant apply for leave of absence just
now but dont think it will be
very long before I do--This much I
must promise bot for you & myself. If I
am alive by the 1st of next month I
must see you I will not submit longer
than that--I will then have been in the
service 7 1/2 months without being out of
it one single day and I shall claim
it as a matter of right--What may transpire
before that time I dont know but you
may count on a visit by that time
if not before--
Most affectionately & devotedly E T H W

[in left margin of page 6]
Cant you put a pocket on each breast of my shirts?

MSS 7786-g