My dear Wife
I have recd your letters and the only fault I have
to find with them is that they were not long enough,
do you think that I could ever get tired reading your
letters to me, the mere fact my darling that the
words were written by your hand, whether there
were any particular meaning in them would give
them a peculiar interest to me. I have not received
a letter from you yet that I have not read over at
least three times, it matters not how busy I am
I can always find time for this, and it affords me the
only real pleasure I enjoy. my health is very good
my darling and there is no cause for you to be un
easy about me, the weather for a day or two past
has been quite mild and pleasant, the last time
I wrote you I believe I had been round the neighbour-
hood reconnoitering with Col. Munford, the next
day I went around with Blackford to Belmont
and from there to the River where we took various
observations of the enemy, and saw a good many of
them, Bilmont is upon the turnpike road leading
from Georgetown to Leesburg, about two miles
below this, it is a place that I have heard a great
deal of in my youth, she is one of the most beautiful
[page 2]
places I ever saw, it was formerly the seat of Miss
Margaret Mercer where she kept her celebrated
female Seminary, and hundreds of the wives and
mothers of Virginia were educated here whose
husbands and sons are now enlisted in our cause,
and whose daily aspirations are ascending to
heaven in behalf of our country and its defenders,
nearby is a handsome chapel built by her for
the use of her pupils and which is now occupied
by our troops as a piquet station, the place is now
owned and occupied by an old gentleman by the name
of Kiphart[?], who is very loyal and very kind to us
and to our men, what would you think my darling
if I were to tell you that since my last letter to you
I had been over the River into the enemy's country
among the yankees, that I had seen Genl Stone
who is commanding the Brigade on the opposite
side of the River, shaken hands with him and
his staff and had a long conversation with
him, such is a fact, yesterday about noon Col.
Munford came out from Leesburg, where he
had been at Head Quarters, and told me that
he had orders to deliver some letters and dispatches
to Genl. Stone under a flag of truce, that it might
be necessary for him to cross the River, and
that he wanted me to go with him. I very readily
consented, when we got to the River (at Edwards'
ferry), with our white flag, they sent a boat over
[page 3]
and hearing that Genl Stone was on the
opposite side the Col. concluded to go over, several
of us went with him, and when we got over we
were surrounded by some hundreds of Yankees
we had a long and quite a pleasant conversa=
tion with them, and returned safe and sound,
Genl Stone seems to be a very nice and courteous
gentleman, and think the yankees seemed
to look upon us as something very superior
to them. We had a silent party which appeared
to great advantage, I was much amused at
Joe. Before I got to the River I happened to
look back and saw Joe and Black Doyle
coming, he seemed to be very much
afraid that the Yankees would get me and
that I would never get back again, he was
in great distress when he saw me go over
in the boat, and when some of the yankees
came back with us it was very amusing to
hear him talking to them.---
Genl. Evans has been relieved of his command
here by Genl. Hill and Genl. Griggith, so we
are to have two Genls instead of one. Gfiffith is
to command the infantry Brigade and Hill com
mands the whole force, they arrived in Leesburg
night before last. I have not seen them yet. Genl.
Evans goes to South Carolina, and will leave on
Monday, it is probably I may go with him to Cen
[page 4]
treville, Edmund Early came this evening I was
very glad to see him--because he had seen you
recently, I am delighted with the box you sent
me, the things were just what I wanted, it is
not worth while my darling for me to express my
gratitude to you for this or anything else you do
for me, for if I were to commence, you are such
a good wife to me, I should never know when
to stop, it is not necessary either for me to tell
you what I want, for you know I believe
better than I do, I can only thank Heaven,
(which I do every day and hour of my life)
for giving me such a wife, you are the great
blessing of my life my darling, the pride and
the idol of my heart, and whatever evil may
befa[l]l me in this life, however hard may
be my lot, it would be ungrateful in me to
repine when I reflect that a good providence
has given me you for a wife, and that you
are my own darling and love me as you
do, this is more than a compensation to me
for everything. When I think of the extent and
power of my affection for you my darling, it some=
times makes me fear and tremble, but I trust
that the same kind providence that has given
you to me will in good time restore us to each
other and allow us to remain together and be
happy for may years to come. I wrote a part of this last
night, and am finishing it to night (this is Sunday) I have just
been summoned
to Centreville tomorrow. I intended to have sent this by mail
tomorrow morning, and to have written by Edward[?] Early
too, he will start back Tuesday morning, but if I go to
Centreville tomorrow & shall not return until after
he is gone. I have so much that I would like to say to you my
darling I hardly know where to bgin or when to stop. I am
[in left hand margin of page 4]
You see where the candle wax falls
over on my paper]
[crosshatched on page 1]
like you my darling I
dont think I can live the
winter without seeing
you, things are in rather
an unsettled condition
here though yet it is not
certain yet where we
will go into winter
quarters, if we stay
in this neighbourhood
and I can't get away
you will have to
come to me, that is
if it should be safe
for you to do so, give
my love to cousin
Molly and tell her
to make you stay
where he is this winter
at all events, I know
something about farm
ing and housekeping
and this is a bad time
to begin tell her I shall
think a great deal
of her if she will
stay and take good
care of you, give
my love to Judy Graham
if she is with you Will
and the other boys are
all well, I am sorry
you have to part with
any of your salt.
I wish you could have
kept it all. Kiss my
little darlings for
me. I am going to
write them all
a letter as soon as I
get back from Centreville.
I would write to them
[?] now if I did not
have to go away,
good night my own
sweet wife--Your
ever devoted husband
E. R. Page
Edwin R. Page, 1st Lt., 2nd Virginia Cavalry
MSS 8937
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