1861 Nov[embe]r 24 Camp Carolina

My dear wife [Olivia Alexander Page]

I recd your letter which was mailed in Lynch
burg Sunday (21st) postmarked 22d, yesterday, and
I thank and bless you for it, Whenever I
receive a letter from you my first feeling
is of gratefulness that all is well with you
and our little ones, I bless you for this letter
because it speaks to me of your warm and un=
reserved affections for me, and wherever I may be or
whatever my lot, I can be satisfied so long as I know
that you love me and want you to love me, and
whatever hardships I may be called upon to endure
I can be content if I have the assurance that you
are loving me and caring for me all the time,
but without this my darling I can never be satis=
fied under any circumstances, all the pomps and
the honors that this world can afford would
be of no value to me without you, remember
this and know that though all the world might
forsake you there is one who is nearer to you than
any brother, whose heart will always be warn
with true and pure affection for you until it
grows cold in death, you must not expect me to
write you any copper plate letters, indeed I shall be
satisfied if you can manage to read them, I have
to write and I can, sometimes sitting in the cold, and
sometimes as I am now, lying in bed, which is
an awkward business at best, and especially when
it is cold enough to freeze you almost when you put
your arms and shoulders outside the blankets

[letter of Edwin R. Page to Olivia Alexander Page continues on the next day]
I wrote this much my darling last night and had
to postpone the balance of my letter until this morning

[page 2]
I believe I shall have to follow your plan and write you
some every day, I am very badly fixed for writing now,
but will be better off shortly, I have ordered a small
stove which I intend to put in my tent as soon as we are
settled for the winter, which will make it much
more comfortable, and then I can write with much
greater convenience, they have been talking for
the last few days of sending us up to Waterford to
take the place of the Loudoun Cavalry which has
been stationed there for sometime, and which has been
ordered to Centreville, but I hope we will not have to go,
the chief objection I have to going up there is that is
is such an out of the way place I could not hear from
you as soon and as regularly as I can here, I have been
talking with Col, Munford about it and he wishes to
keep us here, he asked me to go into town this mor=
ning and see the Gen. about it, which I have done
he says that the Col. may keep us here for the
present, and he told me privately and unofficially
that it was his purpose, after a while to move his
Head Quarters down to Mrs Carters, and wished
to carry a cavalry company with him, to spend the
winter, he said he could pick out a good place for us there
where we might be more comfortable perhaps than
we would be here, I would like to winter somewhere
where you can come to see me before spring if I can't
come to you, and that is one important reason
with me for desiring to remain close to Leesburg,
I suppose however you might come to Mrs Carter's,
I dont see how I can live so long a time without
seeing you, it would be almost death to me to be
away from you until next June, I don't like to
think about it, the Genl. was talking about his
socks to day , he makes the greatest fuss imaginable

[page 3]
about them, he says they are worth $3 a pair. I
haven't seen his wife yet, the tale about his having
a horse race with Jno. Alexander is ridiculous,
there is no foundation for it whatever, he has no
time or opportunity for such sport, if he were so dis=
posed, and if he had, his sense of propriety would
forbid it.--I am very glad my darling you have
got a carriage to to suit you, I should have bought
one for you myself if I had had an opportunity. I am
very much afraid of being in debt as you are, but I
want you to have every thing you want that our
means will afford. I can send you $100, perhaps
$200, I could have spared you more than that
but you know I had to borrow $400 from the Bank
for rent, and I shall have to pay that in four months,
If I can make it out, I hope Tom Cobbs and his wife
will stay with you this winter at least, if not
all the year, I should be much better satisfied
if I know you had some one with you that you
liked, you are fight about not selling the wheat
just now, I think it will necessarily be higher
among other reasons for it is that the Southern
and southwestern states which have usually
drawn their supplies of breadstuff, from the
North Western States, must now get a large portion
of them from us, how are you getting on with
your corn, and how is it turning out, don't let
them put it in the house until it is thoroughly
dry, have you commenced ploughing for
corn yet? let me know if you will get your
salt and what it will cost, I understand it
can be bought in Lynchburg at McDaniel &
Irby's now at something like a reasonable
price, John Alexander and William Graham

[page 4]
will both be at home I suppose before you receive
this, if John brings a box from home with him and
has room for ti I should like to have my gown, it is
warm and i think will be a convenience to me in
cold weather, it will be a good thing to sleep on , I
can do without it but you might send it if you can
do so without any inconvenience, I am glad you
are going to see Mrs. Goggin, I would like for you
to visit her often, and hope you will be able to
persuade them to go and stay with you some,
there is one thing I want you to do, and that is to be
particular and not get your feet wet when you go
out this winter, you know it always makes you
sick, remember this, and whenever you are disposed
to go in the wet just consider that I am looking at you
and scolding you about it, it is somewhat strange
but I have never received a newspaper yet, you
need not be uneasy about me my darling, I will try
and take good care of myself for your sake, I shall
get along very well I hope. I can't say that Camp life
in the winter is at all pleasant, but if I could only
see you and my children just once in a while I should
not think so hard of it, I believe I have forgotten
to tell you that our friend Mrs Ball is in Fauquier
at her father's, I went into town yesterday and in-
tended to have gone to church, but staid some time
at the Hospital with one of our men who is very ill
and did not get to the church, until near the close of the
services, I am very much afraid the poof fellow will
die, his name is Epperson[?], I have written to his wife and his
father, and also to Joe Epperson about him. tell little Monie
I am tired waiting for her little letter, why don't Mary Mann
write to me, kiss all of them for me, and now my own dear
girl, I must say good bye to you once more, I would to God
I might never leave it to say to you God speed the time when we

[in top margin of page one]
may be together again
if I could be always
by your side my
own wife & could be
always happy, I can
endure anything better
than being sepa=
rated from you--
God bless you
your truly devoted
husband
E.R. Page

Dr. Clark asks
to be remembered
to you


Edwin R. Page, 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Virginia Cavalry


MSS 8937