1861 December 21 Cavalry Camp Leesburg

I recd. your letter yesterday morning my darling
and my purpose was to have written to you last
night, but I did not get into Camp until late
after a very fatiguing day, having been in the
saddle nearly the whole day from 9 o'clock in
the morning until the same hour at night.
I went down yesterday morning, as officer of
the day, to visit our piquet stations at Belmont
and below that place on the Georgetown turnpike
soon after I returned to Belmont from the lower
station I was informed by a courier that the
enemy had advanced in considerable force
to Dranesville, a small town on the turnpike
about 8 miles below Belmont, I returned im=
mediately, and passing our freight station on
the turnpike below, turned off to the right
and took a circuitous route towards Dranesville
in order to communicate with Col Radford's
piquets on the road from Dranesville to
Frying Pan Church, when I got about half
way some of Radford's men informed me that
Genl. Stuart had attacked the enemy at
Dranesville and that they were probably fight=
ing at that time. I dashed off towards Dranesville
with the view of getting there before the fight
was over and lending a helping hand if necessary,
but when I got near Dranesville I found the
enemy still in possession of the place, and
learned that Genl Stuart, after a sharp
skirmish had retreated. I reconnoitered in
the immediate vicinity of the town, and in
close proximity to the enemy's lines until after

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sunset, when we learned from a courier
who had been dispatched by Capt. Pitzer on
the route of our forces, that Stuart had
engaged the enemy, and was then in full re=
treat, having been smartly worsted. Stuart
has with him four Regiments of infantry,
four pieces of artillery, and one hundred
cavalry. We hear to day from a dispatch from
Genl Stuart himself that he has about 1200
men, and that he lost 27 killed, that the enemy
acknowledged his force to be 3.000, (supposed however
to have been not less than 5,000) and that he
killed fifty one of them, the 11th Va. Regt (Garland)
was with Stuart, but I have not been able to find
out, although I have made diligent enquiry, whether
any of them were killed, Latham's battery was
with them, and I understand, suffered considera=
bly, lost nearly all his horses and had one of his
guns badly damaged, and one of his caissons ex=
ploded, this is the latest intelligence we have, and
I fear it is even worse than this, as it is getting
late I will finish my letter tomorrow

[letter of Edwin R. Page to be continued on Sunday the 22nd]