1861 December 1 Cavalry Camp near Leesburg Va

My darling wife

This is Sunday night and I am alone in
my tent and am at leisure for the first time for
several days, and my thoughts turn naturally towards
home and towards you as they always do when they
are not preoccupied. I rode into town this morning
to church. I had business to keep me in camp but
I knew you would wish me to go to church and I
went, I came back to dinner and went over
again this evening to Head Quarters to see
the Genl on business. I have this moment re=
turned, I wanted to write to you before this, but
have not been able to do so, and let me tell you now
my darling not to be uneasy about me if you dont
hear from me regularly, there are many cir=
cumstances, which may prevent me from
writing, evening before last, for instance
Genl Evans sent a Special order to this camp
directed to "Lieut. Page" with orders for me to
report to him immediately with 25 men, a rumor
had reached him that the enemy was advancing
in force upon our right wing, and I had to go
that night to Dranesville 13 miles from Leesburg
examine the enemy's lines in that direction
carefully, and report to Hd.Quarters again--which
I did about 3 o'clock next morning, after travelling
all night, this was very hard service but was
imposed upon me by the Genl. because as
he stated, I was the most reliable man that
he knew in the whole command. I performed the
duty very cheerfully, and to the entire satisfaction
of the Genl. I have suffered no inconvenience from
the trip, and feel now as fresh and as well as ever

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yesterday morning I thought I would write to you,
but Col Munford sent for me directly after breakfast
and showed me a letter which he had received from
home the night before informing him that his
wife was in a very critical condition, being at home
with an infant a few days old and no one with her
he appeared to be in great distress and did not know what
to do, I rode out to town and saw the Gen. and
asked him to grant him leave of absence for
several days, which he agreed to do as far as he
could consistently with his orders from Hd Quarters
he is still undetermined about it, and I do not
know what he will do, he expects to get a letter
from home in the morning and will be governed by
that, he is very unhappy, and I feel great sympathy for
him. I know how I should feel under similar cir=
cumstances, the col's wife wants him to resign his
commission and come home, says he promised
her to do so if it should become necessary, when
an occasion of that sort occurs in my family I
suppose I shall have to resign and come home too,
what do you think of it? We have had orders for
several days past to move our camp down the
turnpike towards Georgetown--some four or
five miles, but have been prevented from doing
so up to this time by bad weather, we will
probably move in the morning, I suppose
you have seen John before this, his time is out
indeed and I sent to Manassas for him to day,
I have never heard him say anything about trying
to get a Quarter Master's appointment although
I think it very probable from some circumstan-
ces that there may be something in it, I most
earnestly hope and pray he may never succeed
in getting such an appointment, you may think

[page 3]
this a little strange perhaps, but I have very suf-
ficient reasons for it, I regard it as a very inferior kind
of office, and at the same time one of treat risk
and responsibility, they frequently have the control
of thousands of government funds, and the office
does not suit any man who is careless about
money or accounts, I am very sorry about Bert,
I was in hopes that before this she might have
been happily married, I would have preferred
that she could have selected a husband whose
antecedents were altogether unquestionable
and agreeable, but I was well pleased in the
belief that she would have been happy with
him, it may have been a very laudable sacri=
fice on his part to have repaired to his post
under such circumstances, and probably
was worthy of great commendation, neverthe
less I cannot but consider it somewhat un=
fortunate that the necessity for his doing
so should have occurred at that partic=
ular time, I don't want you to be uneasy
about me my darling, there is no occasion
for it in truth, this kind of life is not very
pleasant it is true, particularly to a man who
has such a wife as I have at home, but I
am gradually getting accustomed to it, and I
have no doubt I shall stand it very well,
my health is very good, and I have been
generally very well ever since I got back, I
have gained strength, and begin to feel
like a dashing Dragoon, Bob Wheat has
improved since I got him here, and is one
of the very finest horses in the service, it
will be very hard on our horses though standing

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out this winter to say nothing of the hard service
that may be required of them, I have a Stove
in my tent now and am quite comfortable
you know I could always stand cold weather
very well, if I should get sick, or anything
should happen to me, you will certainly
be informed of it, it distresses me my darling
to think that you are always uneasy and
unhappy about me, or about anything I want
you to care for me and to love me always and
with all your heart and I know you do my
darling, but it makes me very miserable
to think that you are so unhappy, I would
to Heaven I could be with you all the time
and see you smile continually, it grieves me to
think of your countenance sad and sorrowful as
I very often see it in imagination, but I trust it
will not be always so my darling, for when the
clouds which hang over us now shall have
passed away, I intend to devote my whole re=
maining life to your comfort and happiness for it
is right that I should do so my darling for you are a
good wife to me, and there is no sacrifice that
I would not cheerfully submit to for your sake,
I hope Tom Cobbs and his wife will stay with you,
tell him this is a bad time to go to farming and he
had better put off until next year, tell Maria [?]
and Mary Mann I have been looking a long time
for their letters, if the captain shoots so well
I suppose with a little more practice he would
be able to shoot a yankee, I am sorry to hear
the negroes are troubling you so, I did not get them
straight when I was at home, as perhaps I ought
to have done, indeed I was not in a condition to
do anything of the sort, but never mind when I get back

[in top margin of page 1]
again I will
soon have them
all right, hug and
kiss my little darlings
for me, and bite
little Mary's
ear for me,
half past
twelve o'clk
my darling
good night
God bless you
now and
always my
sweet wife
Your own devoted
husband
E. R. Page

Edwin R. Page, 1st Lieut, 2nd Va. Cavalry

MSS 8937