Monday, April 16, 2012

1862 April 13 Camp Yewel


     Camp Yewel Sunday April 13” 1862
My own darling Wife
  Day before yesterday having been relieved
from out post duty I returned to camp about two miles
this side of the river & found Col Gibbons gone to Richmond
on business in regard to the reorganization of the reg-
iment.  Since then I have been camping out with my
men & commanding the regiment.  this morning I received
your letter writen [sic] on Thursday & mailed Friday for
which you have my hearty thanks.  The burden of your
letter is writen [sic] in opposition to my leaving you be-
hind the army in relation to that point you
can rest perfectly satisfied I dont intend to let
you remain behind, but it is not time for you
to run yet.  Genl Johnsons forces at Orange have
not gone out of Virginia, but are either at Fred-
ericksburg or Yorktown.  I am satisfied that the
most of them, if not all, are with Genl Magruder,
where a great fight is to be expected.  My idea
of the war is this, notwithstanding the extensive
display of forces made by the Yankeys, they have
reduced the war to two fights, one has already

[page 2]
been fought and decided in our favor according to
information recd by us last night  the other is to
occur in at Yorktown whither both sides are now
sending nearly all their forces.  If Beauregard had
been whiped [sic] badly, Virginia would have been lost,
and you ought to be traveling – but if he is victorious
or be not driven so far back as to cut off our commu-
nication with the extreme South we are still safe
until whiped [sic] at Yorktown & so badly whiped [sic] there
as to be forced beyond Richmond.  So you see
as long as Magurder is at Yorktown you are
safe, and even if he is whiped [sic] our division
& Genl Jacksons command has to have time to
fall back behind you & when we start I will
send you information.  But if you hear of Ma-
gruders defeat you may look out for squalls.
But my hope & my confident belief is that
we will win at Yorktown & if we do then
I am very well satisfied of the war ending
in the next four months.  I think we are
concentrating our best troops at Yorktown &
I feel strong in hope that we must whip them
there & take their army.  We have had many con-
flicting rumors from Beauregard.  last night it was

[page 3]
reported that we had been ultimately whiped [sic] and
I spent an unhappy night, but this morning
Genl Elzey told me that the latest news confirmed
our success & gave us more prisoners than any
former report.  The surrender of Ft Pulaski
is nothing prof provided we can succeed at
Yorktown.  I am fully satisfied that we
have opposed to us a very small force not
over 5 or 8000.  we have orders to be ready
to march at a moments notice & I think we
are to go by Gordonsville  indeed I am sat-
isfied of it, for our wagons are all at Culpep-
er & all extra baggage will be sent up on
the train – and thus I will very probably
have an opportunity to see you a night
or so at any rate.  If the worst comes to the
worst I am in favor of your taking a private
conveyance & going in the direction of Danville
either by Lynchburg or Richmond  unless you
can easily procure public transportation and
then you must go by Richmond.  I have some
400 or 500 in the Bank of Rockingham that
you may draw or not as you think best
or have opportunity.  but I say again that

[page 4]
that [sic] the time for runing [sic] is not yet come
our prospects are to day brighter than
at any prior moment.  I may be wrong in my
expectation & hopes I may over estimate the im-
portance of Beauregards victory or I may be mis-
informed as to the actual result – But I give
my opinion you can take it for what it is
worth.  Monday Morning.  You have no idea my own
precious darling how much I sometimes long to see you
& the children.  Generally I have been kept to [sic] busy to think
much, but at night when all work is over my
mind goes back to Orange to the dear ones there
& I wonder what you are all doing & whether
you are happy & what you have now to alarm
you.  I complained at first that I should be kept
here while the rest of the army was so near
you, but I dont now.  I am glad my lot
was here, for I still have the consolation
that my regiment is between you & the enimy [sic]
& Genl Johnston I understand told some
of the people of Orange that he expected
to keep us here here.  Many thanks for your
letter, try & do so again.  I got his one
very quickly.  Kiss all our babys and
tell me how Frank is doing.  I want you
to see him every day
 Devoted & most affectionately ETH Warren





"Col Gibbons", line 3 - 'Simeon B. Gibbons, Colonel, 10th Virginia Infantry.'

"Genl Johnsons", line 13 -

"Genl Johnston", page 4, line 20 - 'Both referred to Joseph E. Johnston, Confederate general, commanded the Army of the Potomac.'

"Genl Magruder", line 16 -

"Magruder", page 2, line 11; page 2, lines 15 & 16 - 'All referred to John B. Magruder, Confederate general.'

"Beauregard", page 2, line 4 & 24; page 4, line 5 - "Pierre G. T. Beauregard, Confederate general, lost the Battle of Shiloh (6 & 7 April 1862) after the Confederates were victorious during the first days' fighting.'

"Genl Jackson", page 2, line 13 - 'Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson, Confederate general, commanded the Army of the Valley in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.'

"Genl Elzey", page 3, line 3 - 'Arnold Elzey, Confederate general, commanded the brigade in which the 10th Virginia Infantry served.'

"Ft Pulaski", page 3, line 5 - 'Fort Pulaski, Georgia, was surrendered to Union forces on 11 April 1862.'

"Frank", page 4, line 25 - 'One of Warren's war horses.'

"ETH Warren", page 4, signature - 'Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Lieutenant-Colonel, 10th Virginia Infantry.'


 [transcription by John P. Mann IV]

MSS 7786-g

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.