1861 December 12

[letter of Edwin R. Page of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to his wife continues]

I wrote this much my wife night before last
and intended to finish my letter yesterday morning
but with the morning light came the order to
move, which kept us busy all day yesterday, we
are now encamped at the fair ground in the im=
mediate vicinity of Leesburg, on the Road to the
Big Spring, you remember the place, it is very
convenient in some respects and very inconve-
nient in others, and I think it doubtful whether
we shall remain here long, it is a very exposed
situation and will be very cold in the winter
and we will have great difficulty in getting wood
and water, we have good shelters for our horses
however, and are convenient to Leesburg
where we can go when the weather is very bad,
yesterday was a very disagreeable day, there was a
sudden change in the weather, and the wind, which
had a fair sweep at us over these hills, was very
high and cold all day, last night I went in to town
and spent the night at the Pickett House, I saw
Mrs Minor, who enquired very affectionately after
you, and said she had been intending for a long
time to write to you, she was in a state of great
trepidation last night, having been fired at
by the yankees as she supposed yesterday, she
was traveling in her carriage between Mrs
Mason's and Maj Dawson's (both of whom are
in trouble from the depredations of the yankees)
the ball struck the carriage window on the

[page 4]
side next to where she was sitting, and shivered it, she
shewed me the broken fragments of the glass and some
pieces of the ball from the bottom of the
carriage, which were shaved off by the broken glass,
this happened near the Point of Rocks, the yankees
are getting rather bold at that and other points
above, but Genl Hill has taken measures to
put a stop to their incursions, and it is proba=
ble that by tomorrow morning some of them
will be in our clutches, I went out today by special
invitation to dine with a Mr. Beverly, who lives
some four or five miles from here, just under
the mountain, I became acquainted with him
accidentally in Leesburg, and he happened to know
who I was, he has been very friendly with me
ever since, and has always expressed a desire that
I would visit him, he seems to be a nice gentleman
and has a beautiful place, we had a very pleasant
party of gentlemen, and I never sat down to a
more sumptuous dinner, I returned a short time
ago, my darling very own wife, I recd our precious
letter this morning, and it is a real treasure to me,
but my own darling whilst your sweet expressions
of affection fill me with joy and grateful devotion
it makes me sad to find that you are so desponding

oh!if I could take you in my arms my precious wife,
and soothe your sorrow, and cheer you in this
hour of trials to us both, what a joy it would be, but
don't despair my darling, the time is not very dis=
tant I hope when I shall be able to do so, and will
that not repay us for this painful separation, this is
the home that cheers me in the midst of all this gloom
think of it my dearest and let it keep you above despair,
there are several things I wanted to say to you, but
I haven't room now, I will write to my darling again in a

[In top margin on page 1]
day or two if nothing
happens to prevent,
Kiss my little children
for me, and when
you kiss [?] bite
her on the ear for
papa, tell Mary
Mann to be smart
about her lessons
and to write to me
again, has the Captain
shot himself on
the mouth again
lately I want him
and little Mary
both to learn to
read and write,
Give my love
to [?] Cobbs and
his wife, I am
very glad they have
determined to stay
with you, I have
no doubt they
will be a comfort
to you & tell cousin
Molly she need
not be uneasy
I have known
young married
ladies to be troubled
with vertigo fre=
quently but they
always get over it
some how after a
while, good night
my precious wife
yours E R P

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

MSS 8937