1862 March 23 Orange County, Va.

1862 March 23rd Orange Co. 2 1/2 miles from CH
My Dear Little Brother

I received your letter some time ago
and intended answering it long before this -- but have
been on a march so much it has been difficult to
get paper & time that I could not write. You know
my little brother it has not been because I did not
love you, for be sure always that I love you a great,
a very great deal. I often think of you & wish to see
you. I dreamed last night of a battle which I thought
you saw and were describing to me. But I hope
you may never be so unfortunate as to witness
a battle. We have marched only two
days since I saw wrote to father. And those short
marches, but very disagreeable. It rained all
day one day. I got a letter from father two five
or three or six days ago at Culpeper C.H. that is the last
I recieved. Tell hm to direct to me to Orange C.H.
Richmond Howitzers, Seventh Brigade. I would
not be surprised if we stayed here since some

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time, though of course don't know. Father's letter
was dated the 10th. I received one the same day
from cousin Lee. There are no little boys in
camp to play with you, but I wish sometimes
you could be in camp a short time -- to see our big
guns & you could ride as much as you wanted
to for we have our big about a hundred
horses in our company. But when we are
marching they don't let us ride but we
have to walk; Except when we get to a
river & then we ride across & get down as soon
as we have crossed. I don't know why I
don't get a letter from home, for the mails
come to camp every day, I mean the letters. No
papers come in the mails, but a news carrier
brings papers to camp nearly every day. We thus get
the news though we have to pay 10 cents for
every paper. I told Papa or Mama, one I forget
which, to ask you how "Puggs" was. But you
did not answer. I hope you are not inconstant.
We have no days in camp--but the soldiers

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catch a good many hares. They all begin
to hollow at soon as a hare is started & scare
it so much that it can't run. My Dear brother
good bye. You must study your books as
much as you can -- a time will come when you will
be very glad if you shall have done so, very sorry
if you have not. The country here is very pretty.
Snow is now on the tops of the mountains & has been
there several days -- it looks pretty when the sun
shines on it. Again goodbye my dear brother,
Affectionately
Yr. brother
W.H. Perry Jr.

William H. Perry, Jr., 1836-1915, of the Richmond Howitzers

MSS 7786-d